ACME AWARDS 2021

Vision Group journalists were rewarded for their outstanding work of the year 2020 at this year's edition of the Uganda National Journalism Awards organised by ACME-Uganda.

It was all smiles and memorable photo moments during the awards ceremony at Mestil Hotel in Kampala Tuesday evening, as the elated winners delightfully received their certificates and plaques for the fruits of their labour.

New Vision's Carol Kasujja and Umar Nsubuga won the award for the category of National News - Print for their story, MAK fire: Why police should not burn alone.

Carol Kasujja (left) relished every moment of her victory

This winning story from a single event was approached from multiple angles, and according to the judges, it provided readers with clarity in the midst of great confusion, and suggestions for future solutions.

The first runner-up in this category was New Vision's Gerald Tenywa for the story Lake Victoria under threat as key city drainage wetland is invaded.

Susan Nsibirwa (left), the ACME board chairperson, was on hand to present the awards

Tenywa, a senior multimedia journalist, showed up donning the distinctive agbada - a stylish addition to his winning bravado and signature heartwarming smile.

In fact, the veteran journalist, whose beat is environment, scooped two awards on the night. 

Gerald Tenywa (centre) receiving the well-earned fruits of his labour

Tenywa received the Energy and Extractives Reporting Award for the story titled Concerns raised over the crude oil pipeline. This article, according to the judges, presented challenges and opportunities that Uganda’s oil resource presents for the current and future generations.

Tenywa was also the winner of another award for his story series titled Save Bugoma Forest.

The judges felt that the nine-part Save Bugoma Forest series demonstrated Tenywa’s depth of knowledge, curiosity and passion to tell under-reported environmental issues with engaging storytelling.

Several journalists from other media outlets were also winners as well.

The categories for the awards included agriculture reporting, investigative reporting,  photo and video journalism, news illustration, political reporting, energy and extractives reporting, explanatory reporting, sports reporting, education reporting, features, and health reporting.

Other categories included justice and law and order reporting, local reporting, national news-broadcast, national news print,  business , economy and finance reporting, as well as environment reporting.

Another of Vision Group's winners, Olivia Nakatte of Urban TV, emerged the best in the sports reporting category.

Olivia Nakatte (centre) showed off her pearly whites after being recognized

Judges felt that Nakatte's story titled Female athletes and menstruation: The unspoken battle demonstrated the tension between sporting ambition and retrogressive cultural norms about women.

The second runner-up in the features category was New Vision's Kalungi Kabuye for the story COVID-19 lockdown: Will the slay generation survive?

For the category of health reporting, out of the six entries shortlisted, New Vision's Agnes Kyotalengerire and Ritah Mukasa tied for the first runner-up award.

Two entries also tied for the first runner-up award of the health reporting category.

Preeclampsia: The silent but dangerous women and neonatal killer by Michael Wambi of Uganda Radio Network and Blood shortage by Agnes Kyotalengerire and Ritah Mukasa of New Vision.

Samuel Sanya, also a winner on the night, took to Twitter to express his thoughts.

He tweeted: Pleased to have been part of the research team for the report titled: "A portrait of Ugandan of Ugandan Journalists in Turbulent Times." #ACMEAwards2021. Uganda's media landscape has grown in depth and diversity despite effects of Covid-19 and measures to curb its spread.

Samuel Sanya said the media landscape in Uganda has made huge strides

Sanya and Shamim Saad of New Vision were the first runners-up for the Public Works and Infrastructure Reporting award for the story Kampala flyover construction: Project expanded, to take longer.

The second runner-up in this category was Simon Ssemazzi of Urban TV for the story Uganda gets first airbus.

Stuart Yiga of Bukedde made the shortlist for the Photo and Video Journalism award. The award is given to photojournalists or video journalists who display excellence and creativity in the visual presentation of a news story, feature or subject. 

The first edition of this annual awards was in 2015 and it attracted 115 journalists. This year, the number rose to 194.

According to John Baptist Wasswa, a veteran media trainer, the greatest increase in participation was attributed to journalists based outside Kampala, as well as newcomers.

Congratulations to all Vision Group winners - plus your counterparts from other media outlets. Journalism wins!

The awards were presented to the winners by Susan Nsibirwa, the ACME board chairperson, alongside other notable media practitioners, including Felix Osike of Vision Group, Helen Kawesa of Parliament and Catherine Ntabadde of UNICEF.

For the Justice, Law and Order Reporting Award, the first runner-up, for the story How COVID-19 affected women in Uganda, was New Vision's Lillian Namusoke Magezi.

The second runners-up in this category were Carol Kasujja, Joseph Makumbi and Michael Odeng of New Vision for the story series on a city pastor and a baby swapping scandal.

Vision Group was represented in the business, economy and finance reporting. Robert Atuhairwe's story Oil industry: FID delay hits local companies shared the first runner-up award with that of The Independent's Patricia Akankwatsa titled Coronavirus catastrophe.

The winner was Paul Murungi of Daily Monitor for the story that asked: What can Uganda do with her milk surplus?

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OTHER WINNERS

- UBC's Sam Senono won the National News Reporting Award (broadcast) for the story Detecting Uganda's first COVID-19 case. 

- The second runner-up for the Political Reporting Award went to Benard Yiga of UBC for the story The impact of Kyagulanyi and the People Power wave on Uganda’s politics.

- The winning story in the Education Reporting category was by Isaac Khisa of The Independent, titled COVID-19 complicates education. The story presented thorough, well-researched, well-sourced and engaging storytelling for one of the most pressing issues of the past two years.

- Desire Derekford Mugumisa of NBS tweeted: Such a great day! Six awards, two 1st Runner-Up recognitions, & three 2nd Runner-Up ones at the Uganda National Journalism Awards 2021! Glad to see this team win. Deserved! Thanks, @ACME_Uganda & partners! 

- - The winners of the Photo and Video journalism award were Collins Rukundo, Songa-Stone Mwesigwa and Victor Opira of Storyteld, who flew a drone over Kampala during lockdown to show what it was like. "Their production was a demonstration of the power of simple and inventive visual reporting of public affairs."

- NTV's Walter Mwesigye took the News Illustration category award.

- For the Local Reporting category, Herbert Kamoga of NTV shared the first runners-up place with Northern Uganda Media Club's John Okot and Jesse Muto.

- Dennis Sigoa of UBC was the first runner-up of the Energy and Extractives category. 

- Jamila Mulindwa of NBS won the award in the Justice, Law and Order category for her story Obuliisa maanyi e Rukungiri.

- NBS's Paul Kayonga and Godfrey Badebye took the Politics category award for the story The NUP dilemma, while Solomon Serwanjja and Joshua Mujunga were the joint winners of the Investigative Reporting category for the story The ayes have it.

- Frank Walusimbi of NTV was the winner of the Arts Reporting category for the story The impact of COVID-19 on the arts.

- Irene Abalo Otto of Daily Monitor's story Scars of the LRA war was the features category winner while Nobert Atukunda, also of Daily Monitor, won the Data Journalism category for the story COVID data contradicts EC campaign freeze. The first runners-up for the data journalism award are Jonan Tusingwire and Felix Basiime of InfoNile.

- Canary Mugume of NBS, the winner of the Explanatory Reporting Award, was heralded for his first-rate analysis of a crisis that hit the centre of learning excellence in Uganda. His story: Ivory Tower in flames: What happened that day.

Mugume also won the category of Best public works & infrastructure reporting - for the story Uganda’s Infrastructure crisis.

- Daniel Lutaaya and Godfrey Badegye of NBS won the health reporting award.

"Thank you @ACME_Uganda for this award. I watched last year's awards from Mulago thinking of death from COVID-19, and now I have won an award for the story I did while in hospital," tweeted Lutaaya.

- The winner of the local reporting award was John Dibaba of Radio Pacis for the story How the Nurse of the Year 2020 rose to the limelight and what happened next.

- Julius Odeke of Transformation Magazine was the winner of the agriculture reporting award for the story Farmers in Teso paradise of oranges agonize over glut.