You can watch the first part with 11 awards on Friday 12 November on YouTube, live at 1500-1640GMT.
Read the guide to the two programmes with details of running order and credits of programme makers here.
By popular request, we’re extending the deadline for entering the AIBs 2021, the 17th annual competition celebrating the best journalism and factual productions across TV, radio and digital platforms. Entries will now be accepted until 23 July.
Full information on how to enter is at http://theaibs.tv.
Join colleagues from New Zealand to the Philippines, Singapore to Turkey, the USA to Argentina who are showcasing their work in this truly international competition.
It doesn’t matter what language your work is in – it’s welcome (we’ve had Welsh-language programmes entered for the first time this year, alongside Arabic, Burmese, Spanish, Mandarin, Bahasa Indonesia, Korean, Japanese, Bangla and more).
Full information is online at http://theaibs.tv.
The Association for International Broadcasting has launched a new award category for its 17th annual competition for journalism and factual productions, the AIBs. The AIB Media Freedom Award complements the Association’s media freedom initiatives that supports its members around the world.
The ground-breaking award will recognise the TV or radio broadcaster or digital media house that has actively covered, promoted and protected media freedom. The prize may go to the organisation that has developed a special strand of programming around media freedom, or it could be awarded to a company that has stood up to attacks against it through intimidation of staff or by means of illegal “judicial dragnets”, for example.
“This Media Freedom Award is an important development in the work of the Association for International Broadcasting in this vital subject,” says Tom Wragg who represents the AIB on the consultative network to the inter-governmental Media Freedom Coalition. “The AIB is committed to helping its members, as well as all journalists at risk, raise awareness of issues around media freedom. The AIB supports them in engaging audiences and helping them to understand the vital need for media freedom in all parts of the world. This award will celebrate the organisation that’s making a substantial mark in this area and encouraging others to add to their coverage of media freedom issues.”
The constant and growing number of attacks on news organisations that seek to hold power to account are designed to have a chilling effect on journalism. This new award provides a focus on those telling stories about upholding media freedom across the world.
The AIB Media Freedom Award is one of 21 categories in the AIBs 2021 that reward journalism and factual productions across TV, radio and digital platforms. The AIBs are open to work in any language and produced anywhere in the world. The judging panel is made up of experts from across the media industry worldwide, from Oceania, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Past winners of the AIBs include ABS-CBN, CNN, Al Jazeera, RTHK, BBC World Service, VoA, RFA, RFE/RL, ABC, DW, STV, CBC, Mediacorp, eTV and many other broadcasters and production companies. Full information about the AIBs 2021 is online at www.theaibs.tv. The winners of all the AIBs 2021 will be announced in November.
The Association for International Broadcasting has revealed the winners of its international competition for journalism and factual productions across TV, radio and digital platforms.
Over two programmes, clips from all shortlisted entries were showcased to a global audience. The programmes were hosted by Kim Vinnell, presenter on Al Jazeera English.
“We wanted to make sure that the work that entrants entrusted us with was showcased as effectively as we do in our traditional live event,” says Clare Dance, producer and coordinator of the AIBs. “We had to overcome many challenges as with finalists from all over the world, we could not possibly expect nominees to stay up all night to take part. Instead, we devised questions to all 120+ finalists asking about particular aspects of their production or journalism. Then we used these ‘as live’ in our show. None of the entrants knew in advance whether they’d won, as we were determined to keep the sense of anticipation alive.”
The two programmes – which can be seen on the AIBs website (www.theaibs.tv) – followed the format that the competition has established over the past 16 years. They included signature segments, including the “in conversation” element.
Winners include:
AFP
Al Jazeera Digital
Al Jazeera English
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Radio 4
BBC World Service
Channel 4
CNA, MediaCorp
CNN
Deutsche Welle
ITN Productions
New Normal Culture
Perfect Storm Productions
Sky News StoryCast
TBI Media
Tortoise Media
VRT
Wild Pacific Media
Full information on all winners and highly commended nominees is in the AIBs Winners and Finalists book, available online.
The two-part programme can be seen at theaibs.tv.
The AIBs 2020 event partner is Al Jazeera Media Network.
The sponsor of the Natural World and Science & Technology Awards is Radio Taiwan International.
London | 24 September 2020
The Association for International Broadcasting has announced the shortlist for its annual competition that celebrates journalism and factual productions on television, radio and digital platforms. Each year since 2005, the work of journalists and producers around the world has been recognised in this global competition and in 2020, the AIBs have attracted as wide a range of entries as ever.
“We thought long and hard about whether it was appropriate to hold our 16th annual competition in 2020,” says Simon Spanswick, AIB chief executive. “The conclusion we reached, and one that is shared by the international broadcasting and production community, is that it’s even more important that the work of those bringing the most important stories into our homes, to our radios or to our mobile devices is recognised this year. Understandably, there were many submissions focusing on coronavirus. But many other subjects were covered as well, demonstrating the outstanding range of work that is produced every day to keep the public informed wherever they are in the world.”
The stories entered in this year’s AIBs are diverse, from coverage of the Australian bush fires to the celebration of Beethoven’s ninth symphony, corruption in Africa’s university system to the Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrations, talk shows in Syrian refugee camps to the real price of your cup of coffee.
There are 20 categories in the AIBs 2020, including:
TV and video categories
Radio and audio categories
Specialist categories
“We are honoured that so many broadcasters and production companies have chosen to showcase their output in the AIBs in this difficult year,” continues Simon Spanswick. “Our judges now have the extremely hard job of selecting which of the shortlisted work is the very best in each category and my colleagues and I wish the judging panel good luck as they evaluate the entries. Of course, I also wish all the nominees the very best of luck in this final stage of the competition.”
The results of the AIBs 2020 will be announced in a two-part programme that will be released on 13 and 16 November. The Association for International Broadcasting is currently working with event partner Al Jazeera Media Network to devise our virtual awards show that will maintain the depth and breadth of our traditional live event, and that showcases all the shortlisted entries. As usual, the absolute secrecy that surrounds who has won will be maintained until the special awards programme is released.
“Like everyone, the AIBs have had to adapt to cope with the very different environment we find ourselves in,” says Simon Spanswick. “We fervently hope that in 2021, we will return to our time-honoured live event that draws together the international media industry for an evening of celebration. Until then, we’re working to deliver the very best virtual awards for all our entrants and observers.”
The complete shortlist is available online at https://theaibs.tv/AIBs-2020/shortlist-2020/AIBs-Shortlist-2020-3.pdf and a copy appears from page 4 of this release. Highlights of the AIBs 2019 can be seen at https://vimeo.com/383583268/c425f5b9fe.