Philip Osei Bonsu of Asempa FM, better known as O.B., has been named the GJA/PAV Ansah Journalist of the Year at the 30th Ghana Journalists Associatio
Philip Osei Bonsu of Asempa FM, better known as O.B., has been named the GJA/PAV Ansah Journalist of the Year at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association Media Awards.
The winners were announced on Saturday at the Palms Convention Centre at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra. President John Dramani Mahama was the keynote speaker, while the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, chaired the ceremony.
O.B. presents Ekosiisen, Asempa FM’s afternoon current affairs programme, which was also named Best Radio Programme in a Ghanaian language.
The awards recognised journalism published in 2025. The judging committee, chaired by Kobby Asmah, considered 327 entries from 206 applicants before selecting 36 citations. Media General had the highest number of nominations, with eight from a shortlist of 53.
The Daily Graphic’s Timothy Ngnenbe was the evening’s most successful journalist, winning three awards. Redwan Karim Dini Osman of EIB Network and Moses Apiah of A1 Radio collected two each.
Media General’s three awards went to Godwin Asediba for the TV3 documentary Hooked on Red, Stanley Nii Blewu of 3News and Christian Yalley of TV3. Asediba has since joined the BBC.
In the main journalism categories, Mohammed Fugu of the Daily Graphic won Best in Print News, while freelance journalist Nabil Ahmed Rufai received Best in Television News for Stolen Childhood, about child labour in Ghana’s fishing industry.
Redwan Karim Dini Osman won Best in Radio News for his report on the impact of the US aid freeze on HIV care. Timothy Ngnenbe took Best in Online News for Unguarded Guards, concerning Ghana’s forest guards.
Benedicta Gyimaah Folley of the Ghanaian Times won Best in Print Features, Daniel Mantey of Pent TV won the television category, and Clinton Yeboah of Luv FM was recognised for his feature on women living with obstetric fistula. Gilbert Azeem Tiroog of the Ghana News Agency won Best in Online Features for Dreams Buried by Bullets, about children affected by recurring conflict.
Doreen Ampofo of GBC won Best in Radio Documentary for Modern-day Slavery: Voices from the Gulf, while Nii Adjei Mensahfio, a freelance journalist, won the online documentary category for work on poaching and bush burning in Mole National Park.
Juliet Etefe of the Business and Financial Times was named Best Print Columnist, with Samuel Dowuona of TechFocus24 taking the online award for MTN’s confusing 5G stance and what it means.
The beat winners were Nathaniel Attoh of Joy FM and The Multimedia Group for sports, Stanley Nii Blewu for education, Francisca Enchill of JoyNews for investigative journalism, Prince Kukorku of GBC for photojournalism, and James Amoh Jr of the Ghana News Agency for arts and entertainment.
Redwan Karim Dini Osman won the business award; Timothy Ngnenbe the environment and science prize; Moses Apiah the health award; and Albert Futukpor of the Ghana News Agency the Akoto Ampaw Award for Democracy and Good Governance. Dzifa Tetteh Tay won gender, while Kweku Bolton of GBC was recognised for crime and court reporting.
Nathaniel Attoh’s sports award included a GH¢50,000 cash prize from Wembley Sports Complex.
Special campaign awards went to Nicholas Azebire of Dreamz FM for disability, Emmanuel Adu Gyamfi of Asempadawuro for domestic tourism, Christian Yalley for road safety, and Timothy Ngnenbe for illegal mining.
Esther Aidoo of GBC won the Bank of Ghana Governor’s Economic and Financial Story of the Year. The prize includes a laptop, a router and one year’s free data from the Bank of Ghana. Its Governor, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, introduced the award at the ceremony.
Among programme and platform winners were Atinka TV’s Missing Persons, Reuniting Families for Best TV Programme in a Ghanaian language, Ekosiisen for Best Radio Programme in a Ghanaian language, Behind the News on Radio Ghana for Best Radio/TV Programme in English, and GH-Hyper for 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. Moses Apiah was named GJA/Komla Dumor Most Promising Journalist.
Honorary awards were presented to Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, Tobinco Group founder Nana Amo Tobbin I, Special Group CEO and UniMAC Chancellor Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong, KGL Group Executive Chairman Alex Dadey, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah and the Ga Mantse.
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor was honoured for advancing press freedom, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin accepting on his behalf. Seth Terkper received Julius Debrah’s award.
The ceremony 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. Speaking for the President, government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu described threats to kill the President and his children as “brazen criminality”.
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