A special awards event has been planned for next month to honour the contributions of Fiji’s media professionals from news and sports journalists to radio hosts, TV personalities, and digital influencers from within the various media organisations.
Called the Fiji Achievement in Media Excellence (FAME) Awards, the event will be held on Saturday, 6 December.
This year’s event carries special meaning for the media industry, marking 19 years since censorship was imposed on Fiji’s newsrooms and organisers say the date was chosen to honour the resilience of journalists and celebrate their freedom to tell stories that matter.
A total of 121 entries has been received for 25 award categories.
Chairman of the FAME Awards, Shane Hussein, said the event is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in Fiji.
“Between the Fijian Media Association and Fiji Media Council, we have designed the FAME Awards as one of the biggest events on the calendar for the country. I’ve been a part of many awards events in Fiji across business, tourism and sports.”
“I can confidently say that the FAME Awards is going to be one of the most competitive awards events in our country.”
“Our journalists and newsrooms have submitted 121 really strong applications in the various awards categories and our Judges will have a delightfully difficult time shortlist finalists and selecting winners.”
Some of the most hotly contested categories include Best Feature Article (Print), Best Commentary or Opinion, Best Coverage of iTaukei Affairs, Best Sports Journalism, Scoop of the Year, and Young Journalist of the Year.
Judging is currently underway, with finalists to be announced soon. All shortlisted nominees will receive complimentary invitations to the event and digital finalist badges.
Hussein added that the winners of the Radio, Print, and TV Journalist of the Year categories will automatically become finalists for the top honour — Journalist of the Year.
With just a few tables left and a limited number of award sponsorships still available, FAME is encouraging businesses, advertisers and supporters of the media to join the celebration.
“A strong list of Fiji’s leading corporates and organisations have already come on board,” Hussein said. “We welcome more partners who believe in the power of storytelling and want to stand with our media community on this important night.”
