By Lyndon Taylor

In a resounding display of excellence, Jamaica emerged as a standout at the prestigious Caribbean Media Awards held recently in New York City.

The island nation secured multiple wins across various categories, solidifying its position as a leader in broadcast and social media within the Caribbean.

Hosted as part of the activities to kick off Caribbean Week, the awards, which made its return this year, is the prestigious honour given to journalists and influencers whose work has significantly contributed to the promotion of Caribbean tourism.

Among the notable victories, Jamaican broadcasters garnered attention for their compelling storytelling and insightful reporting. Romardo Lyons of Television Jamaica copped the award for ‘best news reporting’ for his Coffee Crisis report while Giovanni Dennis from Radio Jamaica won the award in the category ‘best podcast/radio’ for Period Poverty and Climate Change in Jamaica.

In the ‘best social media campaign’ category, the Jamaica Tourist Board was voted winners for Valentine’s Day in Jamaica: Bravo TV’s Summer House, Lindsay Hubbard & Carl Radke.

Other award category winners:

Best Feature Article or Story: Brent Pinheiro for “This Week in Travel: Learning The Art of Batik” in The Trinidad Guardian

Best Personal Immersive Story: Kaitlyn McNab for “Grenada’s Spicemas Carnival Revolutionized the Way I Think About My Blackness and My Body” in Teen Vogue

Best Photojournalism: Joshua Macey for “Ehin Ehin” on Instagram

Best Video Production: Brent Pinheiro for “This Week in Travel: Paragliding in Manzanilla” in The Trinidad Guardian

Emerging Journalist of the Year: Brent Pinheiro from Trinidad Guardian

Diaspora Journalist of the Year: Melissa Noel from Essence Magazine for “Trinidad’s Carnival Finally Came Back. Here’s Everything You Missed”; “My Family’s New Holiday Tradition Is Travel. Here’s How We Did It”; and “Exploring Grenada’s Jab Jab Tradition: A Symbol of Black Expression and Liberation”