The Tribune

THE nominees for the second annual Bahamas Press Club Media Awards, to be presented at the British Colonial Hilton on Saturday, were announced yesterday.

Calsey Johnson, Bahamas High Commissioner to Canada, former broadcast journalist and general manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas, has already been announced as the recipient of the Sir Etienne Dupuch Lifetime Achievement Award; now 12 nominees have been selected across a range of categories.

The awards dinner and ceremony, in the Governor’s Ballroom at the Hilton, will be held under the patronage of Governor General, Dame Marguerite Pindling. P J Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, is the keynote speaker and Perry Christie, Prime Minister, will also bring remarks.

The awards were held for the first time last year to honour the trailblazers in the field of Journalism and Mass Communications. This year, the Press Club said the Media Awards are more inclusive in recognising the work of media professionals. An independent panel of judges was appointed to sift the entries, which had to have been published and or aired between January and November 2016.

The 2016 nominees are Clint Watson, News Reporter, ZNS; Ahvia Campbell, Photojournalist, The Nassau Guardian; Andrew J Burrows, Executive News Director, ZNS; Ianthia Smith, Journalist/TV Host; Jimenita Swain, News Reporter, ZNS; Khrisna Virgil, Deputy Chief Reporter, The Tribune; Sheldon Longley, Sports Editor, The Nassau Guardian; Karissma Robinson, News Reporter, ZNS; Lamech Johnson, Reporter, The Tribune; Torrell Glinton, Photographer, The Nassau Guardian; Shawn Hanna, Photographer, The Tribune; and Tosheena Robinson-Blair, Writer, Dupuch Publications.

There are also entries for awards for the Best Website, and the Best Newspaper Design and Layout.

The Awards are named after the late Sir Etienne Dupuch, Publisher and Editor, The Tribune; the Late Leon Turnquest, former Sports Editor, The Nassau Guardian; the Late Cyril Stevenson, former editor, publisher and Head of Bahamas Information Services; the Late Kenneth Nathaniel Francis, former publisher The Nassau Guardian; Feature writer Leslie Higgs; and Bursell Bradshaw, former news photographer.

The 2016 Bahamas Press Club Media Awards are being sponsored by Platinum Sponsor BTC and Aliv, Gold Sponsor.