The Daily Graphic's Timothy Ngnenbe emerged as the most decorated journalist of the night at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards, claiming three prestigious awards for his outstanding investigative and environmental reporting.
Ngnenbe won Best Online News Reporting for his story "Unguarded Guards: The Ordeal of Ghana's Forest Guards," Best in Illegal Mining Reporting, and Best in Environment and Science Reporting. His trio of awards underscored the depth and impact of his work over the past year.
The winners were announced on Saturday night at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel's Palms Convention Centre in Accra, with President John Dramani Mahama as keynote speaker and the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, as chairman. Philip Osei Bonsu of Asempa FM, known to listeners as O.B., was named the GJA/PAV Ansah Journalist of the Year, the top prize of the evening. O.B. hosts Ekosiisen, Asempa FM's afternoon current affairs show, which also won Best Radio Programme in a Ghanaian language.
The awards covered work published in 2025. The committee, chaired by Kobby Asmah, assessed 327 entries from 206 applicants and settled on 36 citations. Media General had eight nominations, the most of any organisation, from a shortlist of 53, and won three awards through Godwin Asediba's TV3 documentary Hooked on Red, 3News' Stanley Nii Blewu and TV3's Christian Yalley. EIB Network's Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman and A1 Radio's Moses Apiah won two awards each.
In the news, features and documentaries categories, Mohammed Fugu of the Daily Graphic won Best in Print News, while Nabil Ahmed Rufai, a freelancer, won Best in Television News for "Stolen Childhood," on child labour in Ghana's fishing industry. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman of EIB Network won Best in Radio News for a story on how the US aid freeze put HIV care at risk.
Benedicta Gyimaah Folley of the Ghanaian Times won Best in Print Features for a feature on how collaboration is saving mothers in childbirth, while Daniel Mantey of Pent TV won Best in Television Features. Clinton Yeboah of Luv FM won Best in Radio Features for a feature on women living with obstetric fistula, and Gilbert Azeem Tiroog of the Ghana News Agency won Best in Online Features for "Dreams Buried by Bullets," on children caught up in recurring conflict.
Godwin Asediba won Best in Television Documentary for "Hooked on Red" on TV3, Doreen Ampofo of GBC won Best in Radio Documentary for "Modern-day Slavery: Voices from the Gulf," and Nii Adjei Mensahfio, a freelancer, won Best in Online Documentary for a documentary on poaching and bush burning in Mole National Park. Juliet Etefe of the Business and Financial Times won Best Columnist (Print), while Samuel Dowuona of TechFocus24 won Best Columnist (Online) for "MTN's confusing 5G stance and what it means."
In the beat categories, Nathaniel Attoh of Joy FM won Sports, with the Wembley Sports Complex adding a GH¢50,000 cash prize. Stanley Nii Blewu of 3News won Education, Francisca Enchill of JoyNews won Investigative, Prince Kukorku of GBC won Photojournalism, and James Amoh Jr of the Ghana News Agency won Arts and Entertainment. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman won Business, Timothy Ngnenbe won Environment and Science, and Moses Apiah of A1 Radio won Health. Albert Futukpor of the Ghana News Agency won the Akoto Ampaw Award for Democracy and Good Governance, Dzifa Tetteh Tay, a freelancer, won Gender, and Kweku Bolton of GBC won Crime and Court.
In the special campaign awards, Nicholas Azebire of Dreamz FM won Disability, Emmanuel Adu Gyamfi of Asempadawuro won Domestic Tourism, Christian Yalley of TV3 won Road Safety, and Timothy Ngnenbe won Illegal Mining. Esther Aidoo of GBC won the Bank of Ghana Governor's Economic and Financial Story of the Year, which includes a laptop, a router and a year's free data from the Bank of Ghana. The central bank's Governor, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, introduced the new financial journalism award at the ceremony.
Atinka TV's Missing Persons, Reuniting Families won Best TV Programme in a Ghanaian language, Ekosiisen won Best Radio Programme in a Ghanaian language, Behind the News on Radio Ghana won Best Radio/TV Programme in English, and GH-Hyper won Best Digital and New Media Platform.
Jennifer Frimpong-Wiredu of UniMAC-IJ won Best Student Journalist for "Etymology of Trotro," broadcast on GBC's Akan News, while Moses Apiah of A1 Radio won the GJA/Komla Dumor Most Promising Journalist award.
The GJA also gave honorary awards to Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, Tobinco Group founder Nana Amo Tobbin I, and Special Group CEO and UniMAC Chancellor Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong. Former President John Agyekum Kufuor was honoured for his role in advancing press freedom, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin receiving the award on his behalf. Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, whose award was received by Seth Terkper, KGL Group Executive Chairman Alex Dadey, and the Ga Mantse were also honoured.
The 30th edition was held under the theme "Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Media Freedom and Combating Hate Speech in the Digital Age." GJA President Albert Dwumfour said the association had recorded more than 50 attacks on journalists since 2022, while Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, speaking for the President, called threats to kill the President and his children "brazen criminality."
**FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS**
- Best in Print News: Mohammed Fugu, Daily Graphic
- Best in Television News: Nabil Ahmed Rufai, freelance
- Best in Radio News: Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman, EIB Network
- Best in Online News: Timothy Ngnenbe, Daily Graphic
- Best in Print Features: Benedicta Gyimaah Folley, Ghanaian Times
- Best in Television Features: Daniel Mantey, Pent TV
- Best in Radio Features: Clinton Yeboah, Luv FM
- Best in Online Features: Gilbert Azeem Tiroog, Ghana News Agency
- Best in Television Documentary: Godwin Asediba, TV3
- Best in Radio Documentary: Doreen Ampofo, GBC
- Best in Online Documentary: Nii Adjei Mensahfio, freelance
- Best Columnist (Print): Juliet Etefe, Business and Financial Times
- Best Columnist (Online): Samuel Dowuona, TechFocus24
- Sports: Nathaniel Attoh, Joy FM
- Education: Stanley Nii Blewu, 3News
- Investigative: Francisca Enchill, JoyNews
- Photojournalism: Prince Kukorku, GBC
- Arts and Entertainment: James Amoh Jr, Ghana News Agency
- Business: Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman, EIB Network
- Environment and Science: Timothy Ngnenbe, Daily Graphic
- Health: Moses Apiah, A1 Radio
- Akoto Ampaw Award for Democracy and Good Governance: Albert Futukpor, Ghana News Agency
- Gender: Dzifa Tetteh Tay, freelance
- Crime and Court: Kweku Bolton, GBC
- Disability: Nicholas Azebire, Dreamz FM
- Domestic Tourism: Emmanuel Adu Gyamfi, Asempadawuro
- Road Safety: Christian Yalley, TV3
- Illegal Mining: Timothy Ngnenbe, Daily Graphic
- Bank of Ghana Governor's Economic and Financial Story of the Year: Esther Aidoo, GBC
- Best TV Programme (Ghanaian language): Missing Persons, Reuniting Families, Atinka TV
- Best Radio Programme (Ghanaian language): Ekosiisen, Asempa FM
- Best Radio/TV Programme (English): Behind the News, Radio Ghana
- Best Digital and New Media Platform: GH-Hyper
- Best Student Journalist: Jennifer Frimpong-Wiredu, UniMAC-IJ
- GJA/Komla Dumor Most Promising Journalist: Moses Apiah, A1 Radio
- GJA/PAV Ansah Journalist of the Year: Philip Osei Bonsu (O.B.), Asempa FM
- Honorary Awards: Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, Tobinco Group founder Nana Amo Tobbin I, Special Group CEO Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong, Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, KGL Group Executive Chairman Alex Dadey, and the Ga Mantse
