RJRGLEANER Group sweeps 2020 PAJ Awards
Published:Saturday | January 30, 2021 | 8:54 PM
The RJRGLEANER Group on Saturday night dominated the 2020 Press Association of Jamaica Awards sweeping the top prizes in 17 categories.
Television Jamaica’s Kirk Wright emerged Journalist of the Year while the Jamaica Observer’s Sharlene Hendricks was named Young Journalist of the Year.
This year, the awards show was held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston with mainly winners and sponsors in attendance.
The larger audience was virtual in keeping with COVID-19 restrictions.
The Gleaner won seven awards, with senior reporter Jovan Johnson taking home the Hector Bernard/Theodore Sealy Award for News (print) as well as the Award for Excellence in Agriculture for his series of stories on the 'sweetheart' deal involving former Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries J.C. Hutchinson.
The Gleaner’s Gladstone Taylor wowed the judges with his 'Mommy Rocket' photo depicting Jamaica’s sprint sensation Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce hugging her son Zyon after securing her fourth world title in the 100m at the 2019 World Athletic Championship in Doha, Qatar.
Taylor also won the Errol Harvey Award for Human Interest Photography.
Rudolph Brown won the Aston Rhoden Award for News Photography.
Erica Virtue was declared the winner for the Carl Wint Award for Human Interest Feature (print) for her entry documenting a historic brain surgery which was the first of its kind in Jamaica.
Columnist Dr Michael Abraham topped the nominees for the Morris Cargill Award for Opinion Journalism.
Meanwhile, Outgoing PAJ vice-president Michelle Wilson-Reynolds received a special award for her stellar contribution to the organisation over the past six years.
Here is the full list of the 2020 PAJ award recipients:
1. Carl Wint Award for Human Interest Feature
(Electronic)
Anthony Lugg for ‘The Crystal Clarke Story’
TVJ News
(Print)
Erica Virtue for ‘Historic brain surgery’
The Gleaner
2. Best Radio Feature/Documentary
Twila Wheelan for ‘Not Safe for Women’
JIS Radio
3. Best Television Feature/Documentary
Dionne Jackson Miller for ‘Cockpit Controversy’
TVJ News
4. Ken Dawson Award for Videography
Glenford Campbell
TVJ News
5. Junior Dowie Award for Sports Photography
Gladstone Taylor for ‘Mommy Rocket’
The Gleaner
6. Aston Rhoden Award for News Photography
Rudolph Brown for ‘Freedom at Last’
The Gleaner
7. The Errol Harvey Award for Human Interest Photography
Gladstone Taylor for ‘I Can Hear’
The Gleaner
8. The Morris Cargill Award for Opinion Journalism
Michael Abrahams
The Gleaner
9. Best Breaking News
Kirk Wright for ‘The Jodian Fearon Story’
TVJ News
10. Excellence in Reporting on the Environment
Dionne Jackson Miller for ‘Cockpit Controversy’
TVJ News
11. UNICEF Media Award for Excellence In Reporting On Children’s Rights
Janella Precius for ‘The haves and the haves not’
TVJ News
12. Excellence in Reporting on Health and Wellness
Kirk Wright for ‘Patients’ Plight’
TVJ News
13. Excellence in Reporting on Agriculture
Jovan Johnson for ‘Sweetheart deal’
The Gleaner
14. Excellence In Reporting On Technology
Andrea Chisholm for ‘Cybercrimes’
TVJ News
15. Carlton Alexander Award for Business and Finance Journalism
Michelle Thomas
CVM TV
16. Hugh Crosskill/Raymond Sharpe Award for Sports Journalism
(Print)
Sherdon Cowan
Jamaica Observer
(Electronic)
Triciana McGowan
TVJ Sports
17. Hector Bernard/Theodore Sealy award for News
(Print)
Jovan Johnson
The Gleaner
(Electronic)
Giovanni Dennis
TVJ News
Sharlene Hendricks
Jamaica Observer
19. President’s Award for Investigative Journalism
Dionne Jackson Miller for ‘Cockpit Controversy’
TVJ News
20. Journalist of the Year Award
Kirk Wright
TVJ News
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