The Maldives Media Council (MMC) on Saturday hosted the Journalism Awards 2022, celebrating excellence in journalism. The ceremony held at the Maldives Islamic University saw a number of accolades awarded to journalists from various media outlets.

Ahmed Naaif from Dhauru News won the Best Journalist of the Year and Best Journalist in Business Correspondence.

Mihaaru News stood out with five of its reporters winning in different categories. Muizzu Ibrahim was recognised as the Best Journalist in Judicial and Legal Correspondence, a title he has won for the fifth consecutive year. In Sports Journalism, Hussain Habeeb, a seasoned sports reporter, claimed the top honour. Amaany Abdulla and Fayaz Moosa were awarded Best Video Journalist and Best Photo Journalist, respectively, while Nazim Hassan received the award for Best Journalist in Political Correspondence.

Other notable winners included Shahudha Mohamed, also from Dhauru News, who was honoured in Social Correspondence and Feature Writing, while her colleague Ahmed Mizyal received the Best Investigative Journalist award. Sun Online’s Naail Hafeez was named the Most Promising Journalist.

The event also recognised lifetime achievements in journalism. Ahmed Zahir (Hiriga Zahir) of Dhauru News, with a 34-year career including a stint as Chief Editor of Sun Online and a founding member of the Maldives Journalist Association and Editors Guild, received the Lifetime Achievement award. Abdulla Rameez, another recipient of this award, has a 40-year career, currently serving as the Director of News and Current Affairs at Public Service Media (PSM).

Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef, speaking at the ceremony, expressed optimism for the future of journalism under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s leadership. Highlighting the administration’s support for the media, he mentioned key initiatives such as the allocation of state funds to local media, the establishment of a media village, and training for journalists. Emphasising the crucial role of journalists in society, especially in the age of social media, he urged for accuracy in reporting to prevent the spread of misinformation.

The new logo of the Maldives Media Council was also unveiled at the ceremony.