The Journalists’ Association of Bhutan (JAB) conducted its fourth Annual Journalism award, coinciding with the World Press Freedom Day in the capital yesterday. Journalists in different media houses who stood out from the rest were awarded in recognition of their excellence in journalism.
Twenty Journalists were recognised from a total of 23 different awards. The awards category were announced of which eight were for English print, two for Dzongkha print, six in television and five in radio.
The awards also included the most promising Young Journalist of the Year and Jigme Singye Wangchuck Prestigious award in the special category. Sonam Yangdon, a reporter from The Bhutanese newspaper received the Most Promising Young Journalist of the Year.
“I am very overwhelmed; I did not see this coming. Firstly I want to thank my editor Tenzing Lamsang for believing in me and all the reporters and for always creating space for growth. After receiving this award, I am further motivated to contribute my share in journalism,” told Sonam Yangdon to BBS.
She also received the Best Investigative Story Award of the year. Similarly, Karma Dorji, who has 29 years of experience in the Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) received this year’s Jigme Singye Wangchuck Prestigious award.
“I am very happy that I received the Jigme Singye Wangchuck prestigious award this year. I served BBS for many years under the reign of His Majesty The King Jigme Singye Wangchuck,” said Karma Dorji, the Senior Producer of BBS.
He added: “I am equally happy that I continuing to serve under the reign of His Majesty The King. I am honoured to have covered constitutional meetings, royal visits and royal wedding ceremony.”
Although 31 awards were announced in the beginning, eight awards were cancelled due to lack of entries and lack of quality.
The JAB also launched the second edition of its journal, Bhutan Press Mirror: A JAB Occasional Journal, which highlights the situation and status of journalism in the country through articles and JAB’s activities.
