CNN International and MultiChoice dump the African Journalist Awards, says honouring Africa's best journalists became too big and expensive.

CNN International and MultiChoice have decided to dump the African Journalist Awards, the African continent's most prestigious competition for journalists, saying that honouring the best journalism from Africa has become too big and expensive.

CNN International (DStv 401) and MultiChoice in response to a media enquiry revealed that they have scrapped the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards that usually takes place in October and celebrated the best of pan-African journalism over the past two decades.

The competition held over the past 20 years have seen the number of entries grow rapidly every year as it fostered respect and understanding for journalists and their important work, something that's very often a dangerous and thankless job in Africa.

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards also served as an incentive for various African nations to improve their press freedom laws as they vied to be a host country, gave valuable exposure to a country's local tourism as a large group of journalists from across the continent would annually descend on a specific country, and provided an economic boost for the host city putting up the awards show.

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards didn't take place in 2017 but last year the TV news channel from Turner Broadcasting and MultiChoice Africa said they were reviewing the competition and remained committed to celebrating African journalism.

2017 would have marked the 22nd time that African journalists in print, online, radio and television across Africa would have entered this competition, with winners who get cash prizes and the overall winner getting the chance to visit CNN Headquarters in Atlanta and participating in the CNN Journalism Fellowship.

In a joint response in October 2017 CNN and MultiChoice Africa told TVwithThinus that the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards that took place in South Africa and various African countries over alternating years and broadcast on CNN International would not happening last year but that "CNN and MultiChoice are currently reviewing the format of the African Journalist Awards. We are committed to supporting and celebrating journalism across the continent, and we will share details as soon as we are ready".

Now it's axed.

CNN in 2016 said that it is "committed to the African story, not just editorially, but also in terms of supporting its own journalistic enterprise through the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards."

The dumping of the competition comes after the death of Maggie Eales (67) in November 2015 from cancer, the CNN executive and former journalist who during her 20 year career at CNN was the driving force behind the development and growth of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards.

In response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus, CNN International and MultiChoice say that "following a thorough review of the African Journalist Awards, CNN and MultiChoice have come to the difficult decision to not continue the awards" because it became too big and expensive to honour journalism through the competition.

"While we remain committed to championing quality journalism in the future, continuing a traditional awards programme of this scale was no longer sustainable. We have been immensely proud to celebrate African journalism through this awards format over the last 20 years and honoured to meet and support the many inspiring young journalists who have since grown and developed their careers over the years."

"We thank the many judges, companies and institutions who have supported the awards during this time."

According to the organisers the review looked at many options but couldn't find a solution to continue the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards in a way that would bring it up to date and reduce cost while not diminishing its prestige.

The axing comes as censorship across Africa is growing while press freedom in several African nations are eroding, ranging from a crackdown on not just traditional media outlets like newspapers, radio stations and television news being shut down but also general entertainment content on TV channels being censored and draconian new laws to limit and tax ordinary citizen's use of social media, and forcing bloggers to register and pay exorbitant registration fees.

Two big African award shows - CNN International's one for journalists and Viacom Africa's one for artists - both scrapped for 2017.

Two of Africa's biggest awards shows - CNN and MultiChoice's prestigious one for African journalists and MTV Africa's one for musicians and achievers - have both been scrapped for the year and won't be taking place.

Both the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2017 from CNN International (DStv 401) that culminates in an awards show celebrating the best of pan-African journalism, and Viacom International Media Networks Africa's (VIMN Africa) 2017 MTV Africa Music Awards that celebrates African musicians and achievers, won't be taking place this year.

Both the CMAJAs and the MAMAs usually take place in October, and both CNN and MultiChoice, as well as Viacom Africa, say they remain committed to their respective competitions and glitzy award shows although both are taking a break.

It's sad news for the African continent's journalists and artists whose best work for 2016/2017 won't be recognised and celebrated.

Specific reasons for this year's no-shows have not been given by the organisers, leading to speculation that a lack of big and enough sponsors are to blame for the continent's creatives losing out.

CNN International and MultiChoice have called the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards the "most prestigious and respected award for journalists across the African continent", honouring the best in journalism.

The competition held over the past two decades have seen the number of entries grow rapidly every year as it fostered respect and understanding for journalists and their important work, something that's very often a dangerous and thankless job in Africa.

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards also served as an incentive for various African nations to improve their press freedom laws as they vied to be a host country, gave valuable exposure to a country's local tourism as a large group of journalists from across the continent would annually descend on a specific country, and provided an economic boost for the host city putting up the awards show.

2017 would have marked the 22nd time that African journalists in print, online, radio and television across Africa would have entered this competition, with winners who get cash prizes and the overall winner getting the chance to visit CNN Headquarters in Atlanta and participating in the CNN Journalism Fellowship.

In a joint response CNN and MultiChoice Africa confirmed that the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards that took place in South Africa and various African countries over alternating years and broadcast on CNN International (DStv 401), is not happening again this year.

"CNN and MultiChoice are currently reviewing the format of the African Journalist Awards. We are committed to supporting and celebrating journalism across the continent, and we will share details as soon as we are ready," they said in a statement in response to a media enquiry.

The MTV Africa Music Awards that last year moved from Durban to Johannesburg for the first time and that have struggled to finally get the South African comedian Trevor Noah on stage as host for the awards show broadcast on MTV Base and e.tv, says the MAMAs needs collaboration from Africa's entertainment biz to work.

It means that this year's African music stars and those who made the most impact on youth culture on the African continent won't get their due from the MAMAs this year.

"At Viacom International Media Networks Africa we have been working to reinvent the MAMAs to create a deeper music experience that will be more immersive for our fans and partners in 2018," says VIMN Africa in response to a media enquiry.

"The campaign will continue to be fully reflective of the continent's great music and lifestyle that is shaping the continent."

"The MTV Africa Music Awards requires collaboration with the industry, partners and broadcasters to bring this world class event to life."

VIMN Africa says "it is important to emphasize that allthe great music that has emerged during the period from the last MAMAs and the next, will be recognised for accolades."


"Curtain call" for the Royalty Soapie Awards
After two years of not happening, South Africa's Royalty Soapie Awards also initially confused by announcing a "curtain call" - industry lingo meaning an end to things.

The PR company that issued the statement actually meant that the Royalty Soapie Awards is being revived for a 2018 awards show after it was last held in 2015.

The awards show celebrating South African TV operas and their production companies and that has been beset by problems in the past, will be taking place for a third time on 17 March 2018 at the Durban International Convention Centre, promising a "new and improved event" and "a night that will never be forgotten".

"We are excited to be back and the awards event promises to deliver more shimmer and shine than ever before," says Winnie Ntshaba, the Royalty Soapie Awards CEO.

The awards show said it's establishing the Royalty Soapie Foundation (RSF) to help young South Africans from poor communities and rural areas to gain skills in the country's film and TV industry.

Entry date extended to 4 April for Africa's journalists to send in their entries for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2016.

CNN International (DStv 401) and MultiChoice have extended the entry date for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2016 to 4 April.

African journalists across the continent gets a little while longer to enter for this journalism competition with the closing date that has been moved to 4 April 2016.

Journalists can enter online at www.africa.cnnjournalistaward.com.

Journalists can enter their work for any of these categories:

• Culture Award
• Innovation Reporting Award
• Economics & Business Award
• Features Award
• Francophone General News Award – Electronic Media
• Energy & Infrastructure Award
• Mohamed Amin Photographic Award
• Health & Medical Award
• News Impact Award
• Portuguese Language General News Awards
• Press Freedom Award
• Sport Reporting Award
• Environment Award
• The Maggie Eales Young Journalist Award

Out of these entries, the independent judging panel will choose the overall winner - the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2016.   

Landmark 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 with Zain Asher and Mark Masai set to celebrate journalism with 700 guests in Nairobi.

A large group of the continent's media and journalists are set to converge on Kenya's capital Nairobi - Africa's Green City in the Sun - from Thursday for the auspicious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 taking place for its landmark 20th time this year.

The 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 will be held on Saturday evening in Nairobi's  Kenyatta International Conference Centre, refurbished to the tune of millions earlier this year for the state visit of America's president Barack Obama, with CNN International's Zain Asher and NTV's Mark Masai.

It's here, in the continent's most prestigious annual competition to reward excellence in African journalism, where journalists from across the African continent will be honoured on Saturday night and where an expected 700 guests will converge.

Chosen from entries spanning 39 African countries, journalists will be honoured in various categories for their great reporting work in various mediums - telling harrowing, moving and important stories to their readers, listeners and viewers through inserts, interviews and articles often sourced and produced under extremely difficult circumstances.

The competition was last held in Nairobi a decade ago, in 2005.

While the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards usually alternates between South Africa and different African country from one year to the next, the awards ceremony which was held last year in Tanzania, is taking place in Kenya on Saturday and not in South Africa.

CNN International (DStv 401) denies that Kenya was selected to somehow make up for the global news channel's gaffe earlier this year when the East African country was described on CNN as "a hotbed of terror" in July.

After the on-air incident the Kenyan government demanded an apology and Tony Maddox, the executive vice-president and managing director of CNN International personally flew to Nairobi to apologise to Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta.

"The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards have been held in South Africa on several occasions, but there hasn't been a formal arrangement between South Africa and other countries," CNN International told TV with Thinus.

"Our commitment is to the whole continent and we will always try to go to new locations when logistics and circumstances permit."

CNN International says CNN and MultiChoice decided upon Nairobi as the location for this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards very early this year and that this has been long in the planning well before the summer.

Besides Zain Asher well-known CNN reporters are set to attend the 2015 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards and who have covered and continue to cover the African continent incisively.

Barring any breaking news commitments, Robyn Kriel who joined CNN International from eNCA (DStv 403) earlier this year covering East Africa, David McKenzie who moved from China to South Africa to covering Africa again and Soni Methu, the presenter of the magazine show Inside Africa will all attend the awards.

Over the next few days journalists and the 31 finalists will attend various media forums with topics like "20 Years of African journalism", Storytelling in the digital age" and hear more about Africa's developmental challenges. On the itinerary is also a tour of the SuperSport studios.

CNN doesn't want to reveal exactly what and how the 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards will be different on Saturday but says "it will be fantastic to be joined by the vast majority of previous winners on the night".

"As well as recognising the very best of African journalist from the last year, the event will be a real celebration of 20 years of the awards. Special video content has been created which will draw on the experiences of some of those who have been involved and made the awards so special over the years".