“Remember, remember, the fifth of November,” goes the old British children’s rhyme. After last night’s 10th annual AIB International Media Excellence Awards, many filmmakers will remember the fifth of November for years to come.
Each year the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) searches the globe for the top achievements in factual content for TV, radio and online. This year’s AIB Awards featured entries from over 30 countries, telling stories that ranged from the hard realities of current global conflicts and the inner secrets of global corporations, to imaginary explorations of extinct life and exposing to the light of day the buried troubles of decades past. The AIBs, sponsored by Eutelsat, were held again at London’s LSO St. Luke’s, a spectacular venue that is also home to the London Symphony Orchestra.
The gala evening was hosted by BBC Global and Crimewatch presenter, Matthew Amroliwala and was punctuated with poignant moments, including the presentation of a special AIB Founders Award to the late Ghanaian journalist and BBC presenter, Komla Dumor. Universally respected, Dumor died suddenly in his London home in January of this year at the age of 41. The award was accepted by Dumor’s wife, Kwansema Dumor.
The AIB’s traditional “In Conversation” guest was filmmaker Olly Lambert. During the awards dinner, Lambert was interviewed by Wilfred Frost, son of the journalist, Sir David Frost. Called “one of the most talented documentary filmmakers working in British television” by The Times, Lambert won an AIB last year in the category of Best Middle East Documentary for his film Syria: Across The Lines. The film also garnered Lambert an Emmy, a BAFTA and a Rory Peck Award. The full interview with Lambert will be available to view via the AIB website.
The 2014 AIBs covered 18 categories with most categories recognising a Highly Commended entry in addition to the category Winner.
The AIB Award nominees were evaluated by an international panel of 50 judges from the broadcast industry. AIB Awards judge Ruth Sloss, Director of Programming at Spafax, said: “The AIBs are not restricted to one language. Submissions are actively encouraged in all different languages from broadcasters across the globe, which is refreshing in a world where content can often be English-centric. They also look to take work from different budgetary backgrounds as content is assessed with the limits of a broadcaster’s budget in mind. It means a small broadcaster from a developing country can compete alongside the BBC’s and CNN’s of this world.”
The results of the 10th Annual AIB Awards (in order of presentation):
Domestic current affairs documentary – TV
Dispatches:Breadline Kids – Channel 4 Television (Highly Commended)
Failon Today:Deluge – ABS-CBN Corporation (Winner)
John F Kennedy: A Legacy Remembered – Voice of America
Spotlight:Guns and Government – BBC
Suidlanders- Preparing for a Revolution – E Sat Pty Ltd
The Way they Steel – Antena 3
Short news report – TV
Egyptian Clashes – Alhurra Television
Muzaffarnagar Riots: Refugee Crisis – New Delhi Television Ltd
Seleka Victims – TVC News-Continental Broadcasting Service
Typhoon Haiyan: Mass Graves – CNN
Ukraine Donetsk Airport – Voice of America
Ukraine Unrest: Shooting in Independence Square – CNN (Winner)
Short documentary – TV
ERC Syrians Camp in Jordan – Pyramedia Productions
First Sight: Sonia & Anita – Blue Chalk Media (Winner)
Mother-Daughter Reunion – Alhurra Television
Nkana Dilapidated Bridge – Channels Television
Prisoner Turned Farrier – Voice of America
Racism in Housing – BBC London (Highly Commended)
The Angel’s Music: A Pianist with Down Syndrome, His Family and His Message – Kansai Telecasting Corporation (Highly Commended)
Investigative documentary – radio
Face the Facts: A Thousand Philomenas – BBC Radio 4 (Highly Commended)
Forbidden Love in Egypt – BBC Arabic Service (Winner)
Human Trafficking – Radio Sawa
The Other 9/11 – SBS Radio
Water Wars – Radio New Zealand
Who is there to protect Erwiana? – Radio Television Hong Kong
Live journalism – TV
2014 Indian Parliamentary Election Coverage – New Delhi Television Ltd
Anti-Government Protests in Kiev – RT (Highly Commended)
CNN Coverage of the Downing of Flight MH17 – CNN (Winner)
The Legal Round Table Debate – Trial Productions
Ukraine Unrest (Live): Shooting in Independence Square – CNN
Uttarakhand Floods Coverage – New Delhi Television Ltd
Live journalism – radio
The Reality Of Life With Dementia – BBC Radio 5live (Winner)
The Death Of Nelson Mandela – BBC World Service (Highly Commended)
Egyptian Clashes – Radio Sawa
Current affairs documentary – radio
From Heungnam to Geoje: 60 Years Armistice Special – KBS (Korean Broadcasting System)
A Good Man in Rwanda – BBC World Service
An Anatomy of Medical Malpractice in Taiwan – Radio Taiwan International
India: Resisting Rape – BBC World Service (Winner)
Operation Herrick: The Patient Pathway – BFBS (Highly Commended)
Syrian Refugees – Radio Sawa (Highly Commended)
Children’s factual programme – TV
Bushwhacked! (Series 2) – Mint Pictures (Highly Commended)
Deadly Pole to Pole – BBC Natural History Unit (Winner)
Jawla 2014 – Al Jazeera Children’s Channel
Made in SA – South African Broadcasting Corporation
Matanglawin: Worst Case Scenario Weather – ABS-CBN Corporation
Pay it Forward – Observator, Antena 1
The Joy of Life (Vom Glück des Lebens) – Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
Radio personality of the year
Catherine Bott – Classic FM
David Mellor – Classic FM
RJ Teena-Salaam Indore – DB Corp Ltd (Radio Division) 943MY FM
Shaimaa Khalil – BBC World Service (Winner)
AIB Founders Award – Komla Dumor
Live sports coverage – TV
Aviva Premiership Rugby Final 2014 – Sunset+Vine for BT Sport (Winner)
Istaf Superseries Finals 2013/2014 – Astro Arena SDN BHD
The Grand National – IMG Productions for Channel 4 Television (Highly Commended)
Creative feature – radio
Brixton Ballads-Sound Stories – ABC Radio
Crossroads Generation – DW Deutsche Welle
Lost in Dutch Formosa – Radio Taiwan International (Highly Commended)
Newstalk BC – Christian Broadcasting Association (Winner)
OSM Frequency II – Radio-Canada
Will Kate Survive Kate? – Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Specialist programme
AIDS: Living in the Shadows – Voice of America (Highly Commended)
Brazil’s Soccer Cities – BBC (Highly Commended)
From Here to Timbuktu Buganda – Wananchi Programming
Inside Lego – Bloomberg TV
Revealing Dali – TVE Spain (Winner)
Zashto – RT
Online factual
Cronulla Riots: The Day that shocked a Nation – SBS Television (Australia) (Winner)
Days of Rage Digital Initiative – Channel NewsAsia Mediacorp Pte Ltd
IRANORAMA – Webdoc.FR/France 24 (Highly Commended)
Sochi:Outside the Arena – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty [RFE/RL]
Serengeti: Toward an Uncertain Future – DW Deutsche Welle (Highly Commended)
Zaatari Refugee Camp – CNN
Science programme – TV
David Attenborough’s Natural History Museum Alive – Atlantic Productions (Winner)
Secrets of Bones – BBC Natural History Unit (Highly Commended)
Synthetic Biology: Creating Life from Scratch – France 24
The Lake Megantic Tragedy – Radio-Canada
Toxic Sugar – Australian Broadcasting Corporation – Catalyst
Weed: Dr Sanjay Gupta Reports – CNN
Domestic investigative documentary – TV
Britain’s Secret Terror Force – twenty2vision Ltd (Winner)
The Paedophile MP: How Cyril Smith got away with it – Channel 4 Television
India matters: In your Face – New Delhi Television Ltd
The Armstrong System – SRF
The Cruel Cut – Channel 4 Television (Highly Commended)
The Route of the K Money – artear S.A
International current affairs documentary – TV
Difficult Destinations: Turkmenistan – deMENSEN
Dispatches: Children on the Frontline – Channel 4 Television (Winner)
Our World: Yemen-World’s Most Dangerous Journey – BBC News & Current Affairs
Pakistan’s Hidden Shame – Clover Films for Channel 4 Television (Highly Commended)
TB: Return of the Plague – True Vision Productions
The Surgery Ship – Media Stockade/SBS Television
Undercover Asia: Invisible Children – Channel NewsAsia Mediacorp Pte Ltd
International investigative documentary – TV
Dispatches: How to fix a Football Match – Channel 4 Television (Highly Commended)
Our World: Iran’s Secret Army – BBC News & Current Affairs
Our World: Saudi’s Secret Uprising – BBC News & Current Affairs (Winner)
Return to Benghazi – CNN
Slave Industry – A Year On From Rana Plaza – Islam Channel
Worked to Death in Qatar (for the 2022 World Cup) – France 24
TV personality of the year
Christiane Amanpour – CNN
Pia Castro – DW Deutsche Welle
Richard Quest (Quest Means Business) – CNN (Winner)
Kiran Jethwa (Tales from the Bush Larder Kampal) – Wananchi/Fox Int Channels
Ted Failon – ABS-CBN Corporation
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