Best in the business: Awards for sports journalists

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 17 December 2015

The Sport Media Pearl Awards celebrated top sports journalists at a prestigious ceremony in Abu Dhabi. Notable figures from various sports attended to honor the finalists and winners.

Summary

ABU DHABI- The elite in sport journalism were awarded for their work at a glittering ceremony in the UAE capital as the Sport Media Pearl Awards capped off a six-month journey to find the best in sport media.

The evening at the Etihad Towers complex in Abu Dhabi welcomed a host of notable faces from the world of sport as Italian footballer Alessandro Del Piero joined NBA star Yao Ming and Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards. The awards are the first internationally to be dedicated to awarding excellence in the sport journalism industry and have seen a huge number of submitted entries.

The finalists, along with sport media professionals from around the world, convened at Etihad Towers as the final winners were announced at the event hosted by former Olympic athlete Jonathan Edwards. The winner of each category was awarded the prestigious Pearl trophy and US$10,000 in prize money, with the second and third placed finalists receiving US$5,000 each.

An expert executive committee led by the AIPS (International Sports Press Association) studied more than 700 international submissions across a range of categories from sport photography and weblog to writing and audio. Eighty-five submissions were then shortlisted at an event in Abu Dhabi in November.

The judging panel, led by AIPS President Gianni Merlo and consisting of 11 sport media professionals including Sport Media Pearl Awards Jury's Special Ambassador, Yao Ming, a former NBA All-Star, then began the process of choosing three finalists for each category. - Xinhua

KEY POINTS:

• First international awards dedicated to sports journalism excellence.
• Over 700 submissions evaluated by an expert committee.
• Winners received Pearl trophies and cash prizes.
• Ceremony featured attendance from sports icons like Alessandro Del Piero and Yao Ming.
• Focus on multiple categories including photography, writing, and audio.