The RJRGLEANER Communications Group took home 16 awards at Saturday's Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) National Journalism Awards, with Television Jamaica's Giovanni R. Dennis taking top honours as Journalist of the Year for 2024.
The event was held at the S Hotel Kingston in St Andrew and is the penultimate for National Journalism Week, which will close on Monday with an online PAJ Forum examing "Media Power: Shaping Democracy or Serving Agendas?".
Reflecting on a challenging year, Dennis shared his gratitude for the recognition despite facing backlash and even threats for his hard-hitting and controversial reports in 2024.
Dennis, who also received the Journalist of the Year Award in 2022, told The Gleaner that he felt like leaving Jamaica this year, but is happy he did not and could collect his award.
The Journalist of the Year Award is one of four Dennis received for the night. He was part of the All Angles team, which took home the Award for Excellence in Reporting on Health and Wellness for All Angles Investigates Noise Pollution.
He also won the Carlton Alexander Award for Business Journalism and the Hector Bernard/Theodore Sealy Award for News Journalism (Electronic).
Carl Wint Award for Best Feature Story (Print)
Corey Robinson – The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited - "Trapped in Silence"
Carl Wint Award for Best Feature Story (Electronic)
Brian Lewis, Kemar Taylor, Ivan Shaw - Television Jamaica - Untimely Demise of Reggae Girl
Best Radio Feature/Documentary Award
Dadrian Gordon - Radio Jamaica 94FM - Tears of Sadness
Best TV Feature/Documentary Award
Dionne Jackson-Miller – Television Jamaica
Ken Dawson Award for Videography
Nigel Austin - Nationwide News Network (NNN) - The Sprint Capital of the World Jamaica
Junior Dowie Award for Sports Photography
Naphtali Junior - The Jamaica Observer
Aston Rhoden Award for News Photography
Ashley Anguin - The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited
Errol Harvey Award for Human Interest Photography
Garfield Robinson - The Jamaica Observer
Morris Cargill Award for Opinion Journalism
Kalilah Reynolds, Sashell Williams and Israel Ramsey - Money Media - Jamaica Budget 2024 Pieces
Best Breaking News Coverage Award
TVJ News - Television Jamaica - "Vybz Kartel the Timeline to Freedom"
Award for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment
Dionne Jackson-Miller and the All Angles Team - Television Jamaica - Hotter Than Hot: Climate Departure in Kingston
UNICEF Award for Excellence in Reporting on Children’s Rights
Sheryl Johnson Hamilton - Jamaica Information Service
Award for Excellence in Reporting on Health and Wellness
Giovanni R. Dennis, Dionne Jackson-Miller, Jelani Campbell, Ivan Shaw, Milton Reid, Victor Johnson, Rueben Nunes, Paul Davis and Domonic Porter - Television Jamaica - All Angles Investigates Noise Pollution
Award for Excellence in Reporting on Agriculture
Camille Barrett - Television Jamaica - Coconut Legacy
Fosrich Award for Excellence in Reporting on Technology
Romardo Lyons, Glenford Campbell and Uton West - Television Jamaica
Carlton Alexander Award for Business Journalism
Giovanni Dennis - Television Jamaica
Hugh Crosskill/Raymond Sharpe Award for Sports (Electronic)
Jerome Foster - Television Jamaica
Hugh Crosskill/Raymond Sharpe Award for Sports (Print)
Ruddy Allen - Jamaica Observer Media Group
Hector Bernard/Theodore Sealy Award for News Journalism (Electronic)
Giovanni Dennis - Television Jamaica
Hector Bernard/Theodore Sealy Award for News Journalism (Print)
Jovan Johnson - The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited
President’s Award for Investigative Journalism
Shemala Pullen, Omar Samuels, Richard Brown, Christopher Plummer and Garnett Beckford - Television Jamaica - Life Interrupted, the Cancer Epidemic in Jamaica
Young Journalist of the Year Award
Ramon Gordon - CVM Television
Journalist of the Year Award
Giovanni R. Dennis - Television Jamaica