Times of Malta won four of the biggest accolades on Saturday night at the 30th edition of the Malta Journalism Awards. 

The ceremony awarded journalists across different sectors of the profession in a ceremony which was delayed due to the pandemic. 

Jacob Borg and Herman Grech won the biggest accolade of the evening for the ‘Best Investigation of the Year’, which traced the suspects behind Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder as well as the subsequent follow-ups to the case.

The first story, published on October 6, is widely acknowledged for sparking off a chain of events which brought a breakthrough in the 2017 murder investigations.

Matthew Xuereb won the prize for ‘Best Print Journalism’ following a report on the poor state of Mount Carmel Hospital. 

Diana Cacciottolo beat 31 other submissions to scoop the prize for ‘Best Human Interest’ story, following the harrowing account of a migrant who spent 11 days lost at sea, a story which made the international headlines. 

Steve Bonello took home the award for ‘Best Cartoonist of the Year’.

Lovin Malta was the other big winner of the night, winning among others, the ‘Best Opinion/Editorial’ and 'Most Promising Journalist' awards. 

This year’s Gold Award went to Peppi Azzopardi, in acknowledgement for his contribution to journalism. Azzopardi’s programme Xarabank was axed from the TVM schedule after 23 years. 

Organised by the Institute of Maltese Journalists, the ceremony was presented by Valerie Vella and Colin Fitz. 

Watch the awards ceremony here

Full results:

Investigation of the Year

1. Herman Grech and Jacob Borg – Times of Malta – ‘Businessman is among Daphne murder suspects’ and follow up stories’
2. Xarabank – Television Malta – ‘Investigazzjoni bi profil falz fuq facebook – il-periklu li hemm online għat-tfal u r-riskji li jeżistu’
3. Lovin Malta – ‘Investigation on the arrest of Yorgen Fenech’

Best Upcoming Journalist of the Year

Julian Bonnici – Lovin Malta

Best Print Journalism of the Year– News and Current Affairs

1. Matthew Xuereb – Times of Malta – ‘Dangerous ceilings’ in most Mount Carmel Hospital wards’
2. Kristina Abela – Times of Malta – ’22 children are facing eviction from Malta’
3. Victor Vella – L-Orizzont – ‘Nathan Spiteri: Kont sirt inħobb lill-pedofelu li kien jabbużani’

Best Audiovisual Journalism of the Year – News and Current Affairs

1. Mario Micallef – Television Malta – ‘Leħen lill-priġunieri: “Is-sabiħ tagħna ma jissemma’ mkien . . . agħtuna ċans”
2. Darrin Zammit Lupi – Reuters – ‘We are not fish : Migrants stranded at sea grow frustrated’
3. Keith Demicoli – Television Malta – ‘Żagħżugħ Pollakk jgħodda b’waħda li għadu ħaj wara x-xebgħa selvaġġa li qala’ f’Paceville’

Best Audiovisual Journalism of the Year – Footage

1. Bernie Dimech – Net TV – ‘L-iżviluppi xokkanti li kienu qed iseħħu f’Kastilja, fil-lejl bejn 28 u 29 ta’ Novembru 2019’
2. Darrin Zammit Lupi – Reuters – ‘Rioting migrants set several cars on fire at Hal Far Open Centre’
3. Timothy Diacono – Lovin Malta – ‘The moment Adrian Delia and a group of PN politicians were accosted by Daphne Caruana Galizia’s sister Helene Asciak’

Best Audio Journalism of the Year – Radio/Podcast

1. George Cremona – Calypso 101.8 – ‘Il-bagalja ta’ Salvu ta’ Kemmuna’
2. Andrew Azzopardi – Radju Malta – ‘A third of the Maltese population suffers from some degree of loneliness’

Best Online Journalism of the Year

1. Lovin Malta – ‘Live Blog – The aftermath of one of the most shocking days in Malta’s history and follow ups’
2. Xarabank – Television Malta – ‘Titkellem l-‘Amerikana’ wara li dehret f’filmat taqla xeba’ bajd waqt bachelors’ party’
3. Antonia Micallef – Television Malta – ‘X’jagħmel il-ftira differenti minn ħobż ieħor?’

Best Photojournalism of the Year – News/Current Affairs

1. Darrin Zammit Lupi – Reuters
2. Jonathan Borg – Times of Malta
3. Mark Zammit Cordina – Times of Malta

Best Photojournalism of the Year – Open

1. Darrin Zammit Lupi – Reuters
2. Jonathan Borg – Times of Malta
3. Miguela Xuereb – Newsbook

Best Sport Journalism of the Year

1. Charles Camenzuli – Net TV – ‘II-partecipazzjoni Maltija fl-Olimijadi fl-1928 – 1936 u fl-1948’
2. Valhmor Camilleri – Times of Malta – ‘Malta Altus Challenge still on despite little progress in talks + follow up’
3. Glen Falzon – Television Malta – ‘Syria Gżira FC – eżempju mill-aqwa ta’ diversità’

Best Sport Photography of the Year

1.Domenic Aquilina – European Pressphoto Agency (EPA)
2.Angie Conti – Freelance
3. Darrin Zammit Lupi – Reuters

Best Feature of the Year

1. Xarabank – Television Malta – ‘L-istorja dwar il-Qtil ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia’
2. Matthew Vella – Malta Today – ‘Where will it all dovetail?’ – revisiting the car bombs and murders that predate Caruana Galizia’s assassination’
3. Jon Mallia – Lovin Malta – ‘L-ispjega: Bejn Daphne u Yorgen x’inhi l-konnessjoni?’

Best Specialised Journalism of the Year

1. Jonathan Cilia – Lovin Malta – ‘My Life is Pastizzi’
2. Noel D’Anastas – Il-Mument – ‘Issa li ż-żmien kien inbidel… Id-divertiment mużikali fis-Snin Sittin u Sebgħin + follow up’
3. CVC – Television Malta – ‘Malta u lil hinn Minnha’

Best Opinion Article/Editorial of the Year

1. Jon Mallia – Lovin Malta – ‘Lil Malta’
2. Iggy Fenech – Newsbook – ‘Dear Racists, You’re Luckier not Better’
3. Andrew Azzopardi – The Malta Independent – ‘Mental health: 50 important facts’

Best Human Interest Story of the Year

1. Diana Cacciattolo – Times of Malta – ‘Migrant rescued from dinghy was the ‘sole survivor of 15’
2. Xarabank – Television Malta – ‘Tixtieq tiżżewweġ ħabsi u mhux iħaluha’
3. Jonathan Farrugia – Television Malta – ‘How victims of the Nazi Holocaust were transported to Auschwitz’

Best Cartoon of the Year

1. Steve Bonello – Times of Malta
2. The Malta Independent
3. Steve Bonello – Times of Malta

Best use of Maltese Language in Written Journalism

1. Fiorella Pace – Television Malta
2. L-aqwaużutal-LingwaMaltijafil-Ġurnaliżmu Miktub

Best use of Maltese Language in Written Journalism

1. Jon Mallia – Lovin Malta

Gold Award – Peppi Azzopardi