United States Agency for Global Media

MBN wins 19 Telly Awards including two gold

May 24, 2023

MBN wins 19 Telly Awards including two gold

Springfield, Va. — The Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) won 19 trophies at the 44th Annual Telly Awards, that showcase and recognize the best videos created for television and across all screens. MBN won two gold, 11 silver, and six bronze awards.

“We are very proud of this accomplishment. These awards highlight the excellent work of our digital and broadcast journalists and the creative services team,” stated MBN Acting President Hassan Shwiki. “We have a very talented group, and I am thrilled that international competitions recognize their innovative and compelling reporting.”

Below is a list of the award-winning works:

  • ElSaha.com’s Randa’s Story of Female Genital Mutilation won Gold in the Online – Social Impact category. In this moving report, Randa describes all the ceremonial rituals leading up to her ‘special day’ when she was seven. However, the doctor nicked an artery during her circumcision, and she nearly died. As an adult, Randa dedicated her life to educating more women about her story and spreading awareness about the dangers of the practice.
  • Alhurra’s Augmented Reality report on Electric Cars won Gold in the Immersive, Interactive and Mixed Media—Social Responsibility category. This augmented reality production examined cars’ history and the evolution of electric vehicles.
  • Alhurra’s Midterm Elections Coverage won Silver in the Television-News or News Feature category. Alhurra produced more than 30 hours of continuous coverage starting Election Day to explain and inform the U.S. midterm elections to audiences across the Middle East and North Africa. Correspondents reported from 10 states, interviewing voters about the issues most important to them.
  • Alhurra Investigates episode on the Trafficking of Iraqi Children won Silver in the Television-Short Form Documentary category. The program tells the story of an Iraqi mother forced to sell her children against her will. It looks at how the financial devastation within the country has contributed to finding a market for trafficking children.
  • Between Two Niles episode on Diversity in Sudan won Silver in the Television-Diversity and Inclusion category. This episode highlights the diversity that encompasses the Sudan people. Among the people highlighted were a displaced mother who sells tea on the street to earn money for food, a farmer whose crops are struggling due to repeated flooding, and a musician who aims at keeping the long-marginalized Beja culture alive through music.
  • Irfaasawtak.com’s (Raise Your Voice) report Adiba’s Journey of Resilience and Hope won Silver in the Online-Biography category. This profile of Adiba, a refugee and cancer survivor who was told she only had a few years to live. Now, 15 years later, Adiba advocates creating awareness about metastatic cancer.
  • Alhurra Investigates episode on Female Genital Mutilation won Silver in the Television-Social Impact category. This episode examined how female genital mutilation is still deeply engrained in some Iraqi and Sudanese traditions, despite the government’s efforts to criminalize the practice. This episode explored why it is still widely practiced within those societies.
  • ElSaha.com’s report on Fear of My Father—Surviving Child Abusewon Silver in the Online-Social Impact category. This report profiles Sarah, a brave 24-year-old Egyptian woman who survived repeated abuse by her father. He tortured her for years with physical, emotional, and psychological abuse. She eventually used her experiences to empower other victims of child abuse to come forward and tell their stories.
  • Alhurra-Iraq’s report on Eradicating Illiteracy in Diwaniyah won Silver in the Television-Social Responsibility category. This report profiled a woman in southern Iraq who voluntarily teaches reading and writing to women living in her rural community.
  • Irfaasawtak.com’s (Raise Your Voice) report on All Female Islamic Chants Breaks Taboo in Baghdad won Silver in the Online-Religion/Spirituality category. This story examined a group of Kurdish and Arab women who recite Islamic chants in Baghdad for the first time. They challenge deep-rooted taboos about women singing religious songs in public.
  • ElSaha.com’s report on Baha’i in Egypt-A Story of Three Generations won Silver in the Online-Religion/Spirituality category. This report profiles Baha Ishaq Tawfiq, a 59-year-old practicing the Baha’i faith. He discusses his family’s journey with this religion and their significant challenges in Egypt.
  • ElSaha.com’s report Escape from Ukraine won Bronze in the Online-News/News Feature category.

 

About MBN

MBN is non-profit corporate media outlet financed by the U.S. government through a grant from U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency. The USAGM serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.

Find out more

Contact Deirdre Kline
Chief Operating Officer, Middle East Broadcasting Networks