Sun Online’s Mohamed Muzayyin Nizam is the investigative reporter of 2019 as well as the year’s most promising journalist, while VTV’s Shurufa Mohamed snagged the award for video journalist of the year at the Maldives Journalism Awards 2019.
The awards ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Home Affairs together with the Maldives Media Council (MMC) was held at PSM’s multipurpose hall on Tuesday night.
MMC had said that a total of 80 journalists competed for the 11 categories.
While a total of 13 awards were handed out in the 11 categories, they are;
- Social category – Shafna Hussain, Sun Online
- Politics category – Mohamed Visham, Avas Online
- Legal category – Muizzu Ibrahim, Mihaaru
- Environment category –Eman Anwar, Avas Online
- Sports category – Mohamed Hamdhoon, Mihaaru
- Business and economy category (print and online) – Mohamed Afrah, Avas Online
- Business and economy category (broadcasting) – Simaha Naseem, RaajjeTV
- Feature category (print and online) – Mohamed Hamdhoon, Mihaaru
- Feature category (broadcasting) – Shurufa Mohamed, VTV
- Investigative journalist of 2019 – Mohamed Muzayyin Nizam, Sun Online
- Photojournalist of 2019 – Nihan Ali, Mihaaru
- Video journalist of 2019 – Shurufa Mohamed, VTV
- Most promising journalist of 2019 – Mohamed Muzayyin Nizam, Sun Online
Further, a shield of honour was presented to the family of journalist Ahmed Rilwan who was murdered in 2014.
A video message of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, whose administration has kept close relations with the media unlike his predecessor, was played at the awards ceremony.
During his message, the president gave assurance that the government will continue work to seek justice for Rilwan's murder, as well for his best friend Yameen Rasheed; killed in April 2017.
The journalism awards have been conferred annually since 2014.
