Al Jazeera wins ‘Broadcaster of the Year’ and multiple awards at the 2018 New York Festivals International Television & Film Gala

Al Jazeera English was named “Broadcaster of the Year” for the second year running at the 2018 New York Festivals® International Television & Film Gala that took place in Las Vegas on April 10th, 2018. This award is considered the most prestigious by the organizers. Overall, Al Jazeera Media Network was honored with more than 40 prizes at the gala event, including 15 gold and 15 silver medals.

Among the honors, five gold medals went to the 101 East documentary series, along with 3 silver medals. The documentary series presenter Steve Chao also won a gold medal in the Best News Reporter category. The Cut, a documentary exploring the dangerous and painful practice of female genital mutilation across the world, won two gold medals. Another documentary, The Boy Who Started the Syrian War, tells the story of Mouawiya Syasneh, whose graffiti against President Bashar Al-Assad lit the spark that engulfed Syria, and Spy Merchant from Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit were both awarded Gold medals.  In addition, the Demand Press Freedom Campaign and News Promotion on Hundred Days of Trump Administration both won Gold Medals, whilst, In This Life a depiction of the ‘journalism is not a crime’ campaign won a bronze medal for editing. 

Commenting on the network’s success, Giles Trendle, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English said: “Winning over 30 awards at the New York Festivals event, as well as receiving the Broadcaster of the Year award for the second year running, is a wonderful honor from our industry peers of the quality of our journalism and the talent of our teams. In the current global media and political climate, it is all the more important for independent media and journalists around the globe to make themselves heard through quality journalism and imaginative storytelling. We are humbled and honored to be surrounded by colleagues and friends from media organizations that courageously continue to tell the truth and refuse to be silent.”

In addition to the awards won at the New York Festivals International Television & Film Gala, in the past year alone, Al Jazeera’s international reporting has been recognized with prestigious awards and nominations from the Emmy’s, the International Emmy’s, the Webbys, the Foreign Press Association, the United Nations Correspondents Association, the Association for International Broadcasting, the Asian TV Awards, the Society of Environmental Journalists and others.