Kenyan Journalists Miss Out in Diageo Business Reporting Awards

LONDON

Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks company, announced the winners of the 2013 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards at a gala ceremony in London yesterday. No Kenyan journalist or media media house emerged winner in the competitive categories.

The Awards, which are celebrating their tenth anniversary in 2013, showcase the journalists and media outlets who have delivered excellent business journalism from and about Africa. Winners from the ten categories came mainly from the UK and West Africa.

Matthew Davies, a BBC correspondent, was named Journalist of the Year while the Best Newcomer title was awarded to Sherelle Jacobs, a journalist for African Business magazine. The award for Media of the Year also went to African Business. A full list of winners can be found below and at www.diageoafricabusinessreportingawards.com.

Paul Walsh, Adviser to the Chairman and Chief Executive, Diageo plc, and chair of the judging panel said, “In the first year of the Awards I recall we had just 35 entries, predominantly from UK-based media organisations. Ten years later, we regularly receive over 1000 entries from right across the world, including a significant proportion from within Africa. This, I believe, clearly demonstrates that the interest in Africa and its opportunities are becoming more and more mainstream. In the last decade we have seen great improvements in reporting on Africa and this has delivered clear benefits to business and the region, and I hope to see this continue well into the future.”

The keynote address was delivered by Lynne Featherstone, UK International Development Minister, who said: “The media has played an integral role in changing Africa’s image for the better, helping to turn the continent into one of the world’s most promising investment destinations. As economies across Africa continue to boom, there needs to be a common focus among governments, civil society and the press to ensure the very poorest share in the proceeds of this growth.”

Presenting the Awards, Nick Blazquez, President, Diageo Africa, Turkey, Russia, Central & Eastern Europe said: “The story of Africa’s business and economic prospects will not only become more dynamic and diverse as we enter the next ten years of reporting, but will increasingly be told from an African perspective. As such we look forward to encouraging better business journalism from within Africa and its developing media landscape.”

The 2013 winners of the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards are:

BEST INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) FEATURE Africa’s healthcare technology revolution Fiona Graham (BBC, UK)

BEST FINANCE FEATURE Private Equity in Africa Ola Omoyele, Tunde Akodu and Olu Omoyele (ACM Insight, Nigeria)

BEST INFRASTRUCTURE FEATURE Africa’s Infrastructure Boom: Will this time be different? Adam Green (This is Africa, UK)

BEST AGRIBUSINESS / ENVIRONMENT FEATURE The E-Waste Menace in Ghana Thomas Naadi Bitegma (ETV Ghana, Ghana)

BEST TOURISM FEATURE Revisiting Tinapa Anthony Akaeze (Broad Street Journal, Nigeria)

BEST BUSINESS NEWS STORY Guinea reignites $2.5bn mining tussle Tom Burgis, Helen Thomas and Misha Glenny (The Financial Times, UK)

BEST BUSINESS FEATURE Africa Calling William Wallis (The Financial Times, UK)

BEST NEWCOMER Sherelle Jacobs (African Business, UK)

MEDIA OF THE YEAR African Business (UK)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR Matthew Davies (BBC, UK)