Africa Business Reporting Awards 2009 finalists announced

Diageo, on Friday, 29 May 2009, announced the finalists in the sixth annual Africa Business Reporting Awards. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in London on 2 July 2009. Winners will now be selected from the shortlist by a panel of judges chaired by Diageo's chief executive officer, Paul Walsh.

Africa Business Reporting Awards 2009 finalists:

Best Published Feature

‘Opportunity Knocks' Richard Cockett (The Economist)
‘Too Fast for Comfort' François Misser (The Africa Report)
‘Up and Away' Lanre Akinola (This is Africa)
‘A Tale of Two Forests' Wycliffe Muga (African Business)
‘Consumerism for Kenya's As and Bs' Barney Jopson (Financial Times)

Best Radio Feature

‘Zambia Economy Series' Paul Moss (BBC Radio 4 - The World Tonight)
‘When Your Access Card Stops Working' Evelyn Njoroge (Capital FM)
‘Africa Slowdown' James Whittington and others (BBC World Service)
‘Shop Africa 53' Will Ross (BBC Radio)

Best Television Feature

‘Angola's Booming Economy' Marie Lora (AFP TV)
'Doing Business in Africa' Sue Beukes (CNBC Africa)
'Farming Africa Out of Crisis' Nina Schwendemann (Reuters TV)
‘Outsourcing to Kenya' Terryanne Chebet (CNBC Africa)
‘Africa Investment Horizons' Carol Pineau (PBS)

Best Published Photograph

‘Designer Brings Haute Couture Home to Sierra Leone' Katrina Manson (Reuters)
‘The Search for Gold in Congo' Finbar O'Reilly (Reuters [Vart Land, New York Times, Boston Globe])
‘Senegal's Rice Farmers' George Gobet (AFP)

Media of the Year

This Is Africa (Financial Times Ltd)
The Africa Report (Jeune Afrique)
Reuters Africa Website (Reuters)
Business Daily (Nation Media Group)
African Banker (IC Publications)

Journalist of the Year

Marie Lora (AFP)
Richard Cockett (The Economist)
Xan Rice (The Guardian)
Nicholas Norbrook (The Africa Report)
Anver Versi (African Business)

Commenting on this year's awards, Nick Blazquez, managing director, Diageo Africa said, "The record breaking number of entries from across the globe reflects the increase in business reporting on Africa in 2008/2009. This rise in national, regional and international coverage is particularly significant, because research has shown that the mainstream media is a primary source of information for investors when gauging where and whether to invest in Africa.

"I would like to thank everyone who entered and congratulate the finalists, whose commitment to providing accessible and balanced business journalism is worthy of recognition."

The judging panel comprises Zeinab Badawi (broadcaster, trustee of BBC World Service Trust); Louis Michel (European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Development); Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu (former CEO, New Partnership for Africa's Development); Dr Alhaji Bamanga Tukur (executive president, African Business Roundtable); Stephen King (director, Omidyar Foundation and former director of BBC World Service Trust); Baroness Shriti Vadera (Minister for Business and Competitiveness, UK) and Shanta Devarajan (chief economist, World Bank, Africa Region).

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