Mediacorp wins 34 awards at World Media Festivals 2022
Majority of the awards were for news, current affairs and documentary programmes.
Screengrabs from the award-winning CNA documentaries Regardless of Race: 5 Years On and Inside Maximum Security.
SINGAPORE: CNA’s news, current affairs and documentary programmes have bagged a total of 23 awards at the prestigious World Media Festivals Television & Corporate Media Awards 2022 in Hamburg, Germany. The awards included 13 gold awards, nine silver and one special award. These formed the bulk of the 34 awards won by Mediacorp, the parent company of CNA.
The annual international awards – which attracted entries from more than 250 media companies from around the world such as NHK, National Geographic, Deutsche Welle and iQiyi – celebrate television and corporate media solutions globally, particularly audiovisual and online productions in the areas of information, education and entertainment.
CNA current affairs progamme Regardless of Race: 5 Years On, won both a gold award for best documentary (society and social issues) as well as the “Hand in Hand” Special Award.
The award recognises content that highlights actions by a state, government, corporation, organisation or individual resulting in improvements in the lives of individuals or in society as a whole. The two-part series, a follow-up to CNA’s 2016 groundbreaking documentary on race, revisits the issue in the wake of multiple reports of racist incidents in Singapore since the pandemic began. Through a series of social experiments, it attempts to uncover the hard truths on how and why people are racially biased. The programme was hosted by Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary.
Mediacorp announced the wins in a news release on Thursday (Jun 23).
In the entertainment space, Mediacorp Chinese drama My Mini-Me and Me, produced in collaboration with Infocus Asia, won gold in the Entertainment: Mini Series category and also the “Magic Waves” Special Award, which recognises the best original music. The drama won for its creative application of music to not only complement the on-screen visuals, but to also tell a story and further the plot.
Ms Tham Loke Kheng, Chief Executive Officer of Mediacorp, said: “We are delighted once again to receive this bumper crop of awards at the World Media Festivals. These accolades affirm Mediacorp’s strengths in producing trusted and insightful content with global appeal, and would not have been possible without the talent, hard work and dedication of our in-house teams and production partners. Thank you for always keeping the Singapore flag flying high and congratulations on your fine achievements!”
CNA wins gold for investigative reporting and sustainability documentaries
Among the other gold awards won by CNA was the fourth episode of its mega-hit series Inside Maximum Security, which won the award for best documentary (human relations and values). The popular docu-series, which offers a candid look at the lives of five inmates in Singapore's Changi Prison, won in the category for documentaries (human relations and values). It has close to 10 million views on YouTube. It’s also showing on Netflix and Discovery Asia.
In the news reports and features category, two CNA Correspondent specials, Inside Taiwan’s Phone Scam Rings and Saving Endangered Animals in Malaysia, also garnered golds.
In the investigative reporting category, CNA Taiwan correspondent Victoria Jen spoke to scammers and scam victims and explored why years of police crackdowns and high-profile media coverage have failed to foil scammers whose victims extend well beyond the island’s shores. Separately in the news documentary category, for her award-winning special, CNA Malaysia correspondent Afifah Ariffin shone a spotlight on what conservationists are doing to save endangered animal species such as the Malayan tiger, Asian elephant and Bornean orangutan, from the brink of extinction.
An episode of CNA’s signature Undercover Asia documentary series, focusing on China’s Pet Economy was awarded gold as well. It delved into the work of animal rights activists who uncovered a disturbing community of animal abusers who film themselves torturing pets for fun, with some of these abusers even customising videos for paying clients.
Other gold award winners for CNA include sustainability and climate change-focused documentaries A Wicked Problem and The Electric Race; Singapore in Red, Green and Blue which showcases Singapore through its people, culture and surroundings; and Ahead Of Their Time which features trailblazers in business.
The full list of awards won by CNA:
Regardless of Race: 5 Years On - Will we ever get there? (Part 2) - “Hand in Hand” Special Award and Gold for Documentaries: Society and Social Issues
A Wicked Problem - Gold for Documentaries: Sustainability
Ahead of Their Time 2 - Gold for Documentaries: Business
CNA Correspondent: Inside Taiwan’s Phone Scam Rings - Gold for News Reports and Features: Investigative Report
CNA Correspondent: Saving Endangered Animals in Malaysia - Gold for News Reports and Features: Documentary
Inside Maximum Security - Road to Freedom (Part 4) - Gold for Documentaries: Human Relations and Values
Japan’s Comeback Game - Gold for Documentaries: Economy
Remarkable Living 4 - Gold for Documentaries: Lifestyle
Singapore in Red, Green and Blue - Gold for Documentaries: Current Affairs
The Electric Race - Gold for Documentaries: Green Products and Services
Undercover Asia 9: China’s Pet Economy - Gold for Documentaries: Environmental Protection
Undercover Asia 8: The Ugly Side of Beauty - Gold for Documentaries: Human Concerns
Deciphering South Korea - Changing Korean Man - Gold for Documentaries: Gender Equity
20 Years After 9/11: The Return of Taliban - Silver for Documentaries: Global Issues
Catching a Killer: The Hwaseong Murders - Silver for Documentaries: Social Justice
Climate for Change: Closing the Loop - Silver for Documentaries: Climate
Factories: Making the Future - Silver for Documentaries: Technology
Into the Unknown: Doctors On Call - Silver for Documentaries: Docudrama
Standing on her Shoulders: Leading with Kindness - Silver for Documentaries: Social Equity and Inclusion
There’s Something About Orchard - Silver for Documentaries: Entertainment
Wired Differently (aka Child) - My Child is Autistic - Silver for Documentaries: Inclusion and Diversity
Contact Tracers - Church Cluster Mystery - Silver for Documentaries: COVID-19 Topics
