The coveted Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards returns to centre stage this year to seek out and honour members of the media who have shown exceptional dedication to achieving excellence in their work. Firmly established as a premier catalyst in encouraging, recognising and rewarding distinction in the crucial arena of dissemination of news and information, the annual Vodacom Awards are recognised as a prestigious career achievement worthy of the R100 000 prize for the overall national winner.

The Vodacom Awards has a proud 10-year history of honouring excellence in journalism across a range of categories and has celebrated some of South Africa’s finest reporters and most newsworthy stories. This year, Vodacom has raised the bar in excellence and journalists can begin submitting their most outstanding efforts from 1 July, 2013. “We have reviewed the prestigious Journalist of the Year Awards, and we are delighted to announce the opening of entry season for the 2013 Awards,” said Maya Makanjee, Chief Officer for Corporate Affairs at Vodacom.

Journalists will be able to enter their best achievements in the following categories for work done in 2012/2013:
·         Television General News
·         Television Feature
·         Print General News
·         Print Feature
·         Radio General News
·         Radio Feature
·         Financial/Economic
·         Sport
·         CSI/Sustainability
·         Online

Editors can also nominate their candidates for:
·         The Editor’s Choice Award and,

The judging panel will vote on:
·         The Lifetime Achiever’s Award that recognises the lifetime contribution made by a single individual to journalism and media in this country.

Regional category winners will receive R5 000 each, national category winners will receive R10 000 each, with the coveted and sought-after national accolade ofVodacom Journalist of the Year Award winner receiving R100 000. “The recognition of excellence in journalism is a way for us to acknowledge and reward those reporters who are communicating vital news of an extremely high standard. This fits very well within with our mission of connecting people and keeping them informed,” said Makanjee.

“This year we have assembled a veritable who’s who in the media world to act as judges for us. We are grateful to Elna Rossouw, Mary Papayya, Collin Nxumalo, Arthur Goldstuck, Professor Johann de Wet, Joe Thololoe, Ryland Fisher and Patricia McCracken, who have made their time and expertise available to us,” said Makanjee. Mary Papayya and Joe Thloloe will serve as co-convenors for this year’s awards.

The national Award ceremony will be held in Johannesburg in November 2013. We are looking forward to hosting South Africa’s top achievers in journalism again this year, and being able to showcase the fine work done by the media in the country, “said Makanjee. . “At the last Awards, the growing importance of social media was clearly on display as the event trended on social media platforms.