The Press Institute of India (PII), Chennai, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New Delhi, announced the winners of this year’s PII-ICRC Annual Awards for Best Article and Best Photograph at an event held at the India International Centre on 30 August 2024. The theme for this year’s edition was Strengthening disability inclusion through stories with a humanitarian lens.
In the Best Article category, Shahid Judge won the first prize for his article, ‘How para-archer Sheetal Devi embraced who she is to find international success,’ published on Scroll. The second prize was awarded to Avantika Bhuyan from Mint Lounge for her article, ‘Are there safe spaces for the invisible queer disabled community?’. The third prize was jointly awarded to two journalists: Padmaja J for her article, ‘no splash for all: swimming dreams for those with disabilities take a dive as city pools remain non-inclusive’, published in The Times of India (Chennai), and Ajeesh T for his article, “Two disabled farmers and their great victory in farming,” published in Malayala Manorama (Kannur).
In the Best Photograph category, Mithun Anila Mithran from Deshabhimani Malayalam Daily won the first prize for his picture, ‘Little Gandhi in the drizzle…’. The second prize was jointly awarded to two photojournalists: Arun Krishnankutty for his photo ‘Jillumol Marriet – Passion and determination know no bounds…’ and Murali Krishnan for his photo ‘Those with eyes to see…’, both published in Mathrubhumi. The third prize was awarded to Shanth Kumar from The Times of India (Mumbai) for his picture, ‘Doctors have the ability to change a disability.’
Cash prizes were awarded to the first, second, and third-place winners. Certificates and trophies were presented to the special awardees.
During his inaugural address, Sashi Nair, director of the Press Institute of India, Chennai, said, “In the midst of journalism struggling to maintain people’s trust, the odds have become even tougher. In today’s world of social media, fake news and AI, it has become extremely difficult to double-check and verify. Despite the exceptional odds, despite the mental stress, several journalists and photographers are coming up with exceptional work. And that is something we would love to recognize.”
The award ceremony was followed by a panel discussion on this year’s theme. The panel comprised Madhavi Latha, former National Para Swimming champion and inclusion advocate; Himanshu Vyas, author and ex-adjunct professor of photojournalism; Kavitha Muralitharan, journalist and communications professional; and Rakhi Ghosh, independent journalist and documentary filmmaker. Jaya Shreedhar, adjunct professor at the Asian College of Journalism, moderated the discussion.
PII and ICRC Awards recognize and promote outstanding humanitarian reporting by journalists.
