Hopewell, founder and film director for Television International, Zimbabwe, won for his story "Pain in My Heart," which was chosen from among 1912 entries from a record 44 nations across the African continent.
Hopewell was one of 23 finalists at the awards ceremony on Saturday evening and was also the category winner in The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Reporting in Africa.
His Excellency J. A. Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana, presented him with the award at a gala ceremony hosted by CNN and MultiChoice at The State Banquet Hall, Osu, Accra, Ghana on Saturday 19 July. Tony Maddox, managing director, CNN International and Eben Greyling, chief executive Officer, MultiChoice Africa, were also on stage.
The 2008 awards, which rotate location each year in tribute to their pan-African credentials, mark a welcome return to Ghana, West Africa, home to many of the competition's winners over the years, and birthplace of the awards, first held in Accra in 1995.
Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono said: “The recognition this award gives me goes a long way to improving journalistic standards for many colleagues who are working under very difficult conditions. It is a huge honour and commitment and I will do my best to meet the expectations of my peers. I dedicate the award to all those struggling to be recognised, and I salute the ongoing challenge to achieve excellence across the African continent.”
Chairperson of the judging panel, Azubuike Ishiekwene, executive director, Punch Nigeria Limited said: “Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono is the overall winner of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Award 2008, because in a continent where resources are a great problem in telling the story, he overcame this major difficulty, with a nose and a passion to tell the story. He goes on to tell the story in a compelling and sympathetic manner. A good nose and a passionate heart, that's what makes him the overall winner."
Tony Maddox, executive vice-president and managing director of CNN International, said: “The awards have become the pre-eminent prize, honouring the best of what Africa has to offer, and the benchmark by which many African journalists measure themselves. Once again, this year has unearthed a wealth of voices from around Africa, each demonstrating a quality of journalism, and in some cases a resourcefulness and bravery in pursuing the story which has my deepest admiration.”
Eben Greyling, CEO MultiChoice Africa said: “Congratulations to the winners this year; we hope that the recognition you received in this year's awards will encourage further excellence and success in your careers as we have seen with previous winners of these prestigious awards. To the many journalists who have not been recognised this year, we would like to salute and celebrate the vital role you play in the ongoing development of democracy and diversity on the African continent. Once again the judges were overwhelmed by the high quality of the entries which made the judging a very difficult process. One can see from the entries over the years the dramatic progress African media has made in reporting the African story.”
The CNN MultiChoice competition, now in its thirteenth year, is held in collaboration with The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Accra-based accommodation is provided by the official hotel sponsor, The Holiday Inn Accra Airport. Other prestigious sponsors include: Coca-Cola Africa; Ecobank; IPP Media; Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD); MIH Print Africa; Safebond Africa Limited (SAL); Zain; Global Media Alliance (GMA) and Camerapix.
The overall CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 wins a substantial cash prize, a visit to CNN Centre, Atlanta to attend the three-week CNN Journalism Fellowship, along with the prize awarded to all category winners, which consists of a laptop computer, modem, printer and a cash prize.
Winner: Barbara Angopa, NTV, Uganda
Title: Teso's Peace Music
Winner: John Grobler, freelance journalist for the Namibian, Namibia
Title: Mafia linked to Namibian gems
Winner: Emmanuel Mayah, The Sun Newspaper, Nigeria
Title: The Silkworm Genocide
Winner: Nassima Oulebsir, Le Jeune Indépendant, Algeria
Title: Ces enfants interdits…d' école!
Winner: Koumoureéoua Issa Napon, Radio Burkina, Burkina Faso
Title: Yako, Situation d'enfants orpailleurs
Winner: Seyhoum Tsehaye, Eritrea
Winner: Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono, Television International, Zimbabwe
Title: Pain in my Heart
Winner: Bamuturaki Musinguzi, The East African Newspaper, Uganda
Title: Silent Killer
Winner: Marjorie Copeland, Freelance Journalist for Marie Claire, South Africa
Title: Your Child may still be in Danger
Winner: Boniface Mwangi, The Standard, Nairobi, Kenya
Title: Under Siege
Winner: Fernando Lima, Jornal Savana, Mozambique
Title: Quando o rio zangou (When the River Got Angry) and No epicentre da crise
Winner: Richard Mgamba, The Sunday Citizen, Tanzania
Title: Buzwagi: The untold story of a controversial mining deal
Winner: Israel Laryea, Joy FM, Ghana
Title: Naa Koshie: victim of child abuse
Winner: Mutwiri Mutuota, Kenya Times, Kenya
Title: The art of cheering
Winner: Peter Moyo, e.tv, South Africa
Title: The root of all evil
Winner: Deji Badmus, Channels Television, Nigeria
Title: Third Mainland Bridge
Winner: Evaline Ngono, CRTV, Cameroon
Title: Mythes et Realités du Mont Cameroun
Again this year the judges highlighted some excellent work and awarded commendations in six categories. These journalists participated in the extensive finalists' programme in Accra, Ghana and received a cash prize and Certificates of Commendation.
Lucas Ajanaku, Tell Magazine, Nigeria
Title: Power Paralysis
Daniel Nkrumah, Daily Graphic, Ghana
Title: Rot at Chorkor
Kennedy Gwonde, Freelance for Hone FM, Zambia
Title: Umoyo Programme on HIV/AIDS
Sasha Wales-Smith, SABC, South Africa
Title: Dodgy doctors
Godwin Nnanna, Business Day, Ghana
Title: Peace for a troubled nation
Mwondoshah Mfanga, The Guardian Newspaper, Tanzania
Title: The 101 wonders of ‘khanga' and many more to come.
