Prestigious Emmys awarded for Gaza coverage by Bisan Owda with AJ+ and Al Jazeera English for Fault Lines

Al Jazeera Media Network is proud to announce that it has been honoured with two prestigious News Emmy® Awards in the 45th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Award competition. The winners were announced on 25 September 2024 in New York City by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, recognising the network's outstanding journalism and storytelling in conflict zones and investigative reporting.
 
Gaza journalist Bisan Owda, with AJ+ English's "It's Bisan from Gaza and I'm Still Alive," was recognised with the News Emmy Award for Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Short Form, while Al Jazeera English's Fault Lines received the News Emmy for Outstanding Climate, Environment, and Weather Coverage.
 
Bisan Owda, a renowned journalist and influencer collaborating with AJ+, has been awarded an Emmy for her exceptional coverage of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Since 7 October 2023, Owda has been at the forefront of reporting, bringing the stories of ordinary Palestinians to a global audience amidst 11 months of war and devastation.
 
Owda's unique storytelling style and resilience have captured international attention, with her work being extensively cited by global media outlets. Her collaborations with international institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations further underscore the impact of her journalism.
 
"This award is a testament to young Palestinian journalists and their professionalism. Bisan's reporting has humanised the Palestinian story after decades of mainstream media's systematic dehumanisation of Palestinians. Winning this Emmy is a win for humanity. We feel extremely proud of this bright moment amidst ongoing genocide, and Bisan will continue reporting," said Dima Khatib, Managing Director of AJ+ Channels.

Commenting on the international recognition, Bisan Owda stated, "We all know the truth, but our fear undermines our ability to say it out loud, and sometimes even drives us to hide it! But remember that a world without colonialism is a world without fear... and that truth is the only way we can be free from fear."
 
This Emmy recognition follows other notable accolades for Owda's fearless reporting, including the Peabody Award and the Radio Television Digital News Association's (RTDNA) Edward R. Murrow Award.
 
Additionally, Al Jazeera English's Fault Lines received another award in the Outstanding Climate, Environment, and Weather Coverage category for its film "Shark Fin Hunters," which exposes wildlife trafficking that poses enormous risks for the future of our oceans.

"We are delighted and honoured to win this prestigious award," said Issa Ali, Acting Managing Director of Al Jazeera English. "The great journalism that we do, and that done by our colleagues in other media organisations, is more important than ever in today's world. This award is a wonderful recognition of the talent, dedication, and hard work of our teams."
 
Fault Lines executive producer Laila Al-Arian said, "We are so grateful to the Academy and the Emmy judges for this honour. 'The Shark Fin Hunters' demonstrates the global risk of hunting a species that has been on our planet longer than trees and highlights the courage of Evelyn La Madrid, the prosecutor going after this illegal trade. Thank you to the incredible team who put this film together and to Al Jazeera for giving us the resources to tell these stories."
 
The team that worked on "The Shark Fin Hunters" included senior correspondent Josh Rushing, senior producer Jeremy Young, executive producer Laila Al-Arian, cinematographer Rodrigo Galdos, producer Luis Del Valle of Pacha Films, editor Warwick Meade, additional photography by Jeremy Raff, and sound mixer Linus Bergman. Rafi Mustafa and Anabelle Rojas provided crucial support.
 
Al Jazeera English has won one International Emmy in 2014 for Witness' "Miners Shot Down," and three News & Documentary Emmy Awards: in 2019 for Fault Lines' "Adoption Inc.," in 2018 for Fault Lines' "The Ban," and in 2014 for Fault Lines' "Haiti in a Time of Cholera."