2011 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards winners announced

This year a record 1223 nominations were received.

Winners from the eleven categories came from all over the world. Nicholas Norbrook, managing editor of The Africa Report, was named as Journalist of the Year and the Best Newcomer title was awarded to Kenyan Cynthia Nyamai, of the Kenyan broadcaster KTN. The award for Media of the Year went to Reuters.

Celebrating the best of business journalism

Paul Walsh, chief executive , Diageo and chair of the judging panel said, "Africa is increasingly a focus of attention for the rest of the world as its social and economic development accelerates. Through doing good business, Diageo generates broad-based wealth for communities across Africa. We are proud of that contribution, and encourage others to do likewise, including through our support for these awards which celebrate the best of business journalism in and about Africa."

The keynote address was delivered by Baroness Northover [of the Department for International Development], who commented: "DFID will invest to tackle trade barriers and to improve the business climate across Africa, but it is private sector investment that will unlock Africa's economic potential and deliver a better future for the continent. The awards this evening are to celebrate the important role that business reporting has in inspiring companies and investors to take up the challenge."

Building a private sector-driven economy

Eric Chinje, director of the Global Media Program at the World Bank Institute, also addressed the attendees, representing business, government and media from the UK, Africa and internationally, saying: "Action on this agenda will equip citizens in an otherwise information-starved society to participate knowledgeably in the building of a private sector-driven economy and reposition media as a conscious partner in the process."

Presenting the awards, Nick Blazquez, president, Diageo Africa, added, "As the financial crisis has taken hold of the global economy, so there is a surge of interest in Africa, with increased attention, focus, and investment from all corners of the world".

He warned, however, that political conflicts, rising food prices, and recent developments in North Africa had shaken some observers' confidence, saying: "This creates a greater responsibility to give a fair and balanced view of Africa, and provides more reason to support, recognise and celebrate quality business journalism of a continent on which the world has turned its spotlight."

2011 winners of the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards:

• Best ICT Feature: J.M. Ledgard, Intelligent Life, 'Digital Africa'
  
• Best Finance Feature: Nick Wachira, Emmanuel Were and Cosmas Butunyi, The East African, "Why CEOs need to come clean on their pay"
  
• Best Infrastructure Feature: Ed Cropley and Agnieszka Flak, Reuters, "South African mining"
  
• Best Agribusiness Feature: Charlotte Ashton, BBC Radio Four, "Is there a Revolution in African Farming?"
  
• Best Tourism Feature: Wycliffe Muga, The Star, "Kenya tour resorts miss out on niche global ecosphere sustainability awards"
  
• Best Use of New Media in a Story: Rob Walker and team, BBC World Service, "Oil city Takoradi"
  
• Best Business News Story: Anthony Osae-Brown, Business Day, "Spending Spree at Presidency"
  
• Best Business Feature Story: David Lewis, Reuters, "In Africa, Brazil takes a different track"
  
• Best Newcomer: Cynthia Musenya Nyamai, KTN
  
• Media of the Year: Reuters
  
• Journalist of the Year: Nicholas Norbrook, The Africa Report

Winners received a bronze statue titled "News" by the sculptor Loni Kreuder and a cheque for £500.

For more information, go to www.diageoafricabusinessreportingawards.com.