United States Agency for Global Media

MBN wins seven medals at the New York Festivals

April 27, 2022

The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN) won seven medals at the 2022 New York Festivals TV and Film Awards. Winners were announced at the virtual Storytellers Gala on April 26th.

MBN’s digital team won three Silver Medals during the event. Alhurra.com’s report on data voids in the digital landscape that creates openings for disinformation campaigns to flourish won Silver for Best Social Justice Reporting. In the category of Best Reporting on Heroes, ElSaha.com’s Sophie’s World won Silver for their profile of a single mother who is raising a daughter with Down’s syndrome. She strives to erase misconceptions about the condition and hopes society will become more accepting. Another report that won Silver in the Heroes category is ElSaha.com’s interview with Demiana Nassar Hanna, a woman who lives in a small rural village in Egypt. She dreamt of becoming an actress, then was lifted from obscurity and selected as the heroine of the award-winning movie “Feathers.”

Alhurra’s Creative Services team was awarded three medals for their augmented reality videos and promos. The promotional video highlighting MBN’s podcast “Chapters” won a Silver Medal for the Best Documentary/Informational Program Promotion. While Alhurra Television’s augmented reality production highlighting the potential ecological disaster the Safer ship poses in the Red Sea won Silver for Best Use of Special Effects. The augmented reality production of Air Force One won a Bronze Medal for the Best Use of Technology. The video provides viewers a sense of what it is like to be on the presidential aircraft.

The television network’s dedicated investigative series, Alhurra Investigates’ reporting on ISIS wives trying to return home won Bronze for Best Documentary on Social Issues. The program discussed how many of these women and their children are no longer welcome in their home countries and the challenges they incur if they do return.

“This is a well-deserved recognition of MBN’s incredibly talented journalists and creative designers. They are developing innovative, compelling, and engaging ways to tell these important stories,” stated MBN Acting President Hassan Shwiki. “The wide variety of MBN’s award-winning work honored by the New York Festivals demonstrates the humanitarian and fact-based reporting not found on other media outlets in the region.”

Other finalists for the New York Festivals TV and Film Awards include Irfaasawtak.com’s (Raise Your Voice) examination of the journey of Gilgamesh’s Tablet back to Iraq after it disappeared 30 years ago for Best Special Report. ElSaha.com’s profile of Nael, a Sudanese teenager living in Egypt, was a finalist for the Best Human Interest Report. Nael was beaten severely and wanted to return to Sudan. He talked about racism in Egypt and his fear of and compassion for his attackers.

Earlier this year, two episodes of MBN’s podcast “Chapters” were selected as finalists for the New York Festival Radio Awards. The Best Social Justice Podcast category included an episode discussing female genital mutilation. The second nomination was a two-part episode that profiles Dahlia, a first responder struggling to survive in Yemen, in the Best Personal Lives Podcast category.

The New York Festivals TV & Film Awards and the New York Festival Radio Awards honor content from over 50 countries, embracing all aspects of the television, film and radio industries. Categories mirror today’s global trends and encourage the next generation of storytellers by recognizing innovators.

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