Dubai’s award was first launched in 1999 Dubai – Jamal Al Majaida Over 4150 entries have already been accepted ahead of the 12th Arab Journalism Award, the Dubai Press Club has announced. The prestigious awards ceremony will take place on May 15, concluding the two-day Arab Media Forum (AMF) conference in Dubai.
Awards will be given to journalists and media professionals in categories including humanitarian journalism, investigative journalism, youth journalism as well as culture, sports, politics and photojournalism.
Youth journalism gained the highest number of entries, with over 21 percent of the total figure, in news that will cheer commentators watching the rise of the citizen journalist in the wake of 2011’s Arab Spring upheavals.
Over 43 percent of total entries were from female journalists, an increase of five percent since the first awards ceremony in 2000.
Egypt topped the list with 942 entries, followed by Palestine and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Awards director Mona Bousamra announced the award had received a record number of entries this year, ascribing the bigger number to the inclusion of online journalism as a category in 2013.
Deputy Director Jasem al-Shamsi said the awards\' objective is to promote creativity in journalism in the Arab world.
A shortlist for each category will be announced in April and the final winners will be announced on May 15 at the closing of the annual AMF.
The Arab Journalism Award was launched in November 1999 on an initiative by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the monarch of Dubai and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.