who says press releases can’t be funny?
Nat Nakasa was a prominent journalist
and writer who died in exile. This annual award
recognises the exceptional efforts of any
Media Practitioner.
The Elangeni Hotel (Durban) was filled with journalist, editors, photographers and heads of the country’s publication house on Saturday, 27 June 2009. One would assume that the President was in venue… he was but he was not the man of the moment.
It was Greg Marinovich who stole the spot light from the President. Greg Marinovich was awarded the Nat Nakasa Award for the year 2009. The Nat Nakasa Award is presented by the Print Media SA, SANEF and Nieman Society of SA with the aims for awarding deserving media practitioners for their work within the industry. This is year Marinovich walked away with this award.
“For your courageousness during our times or trouble in Africa, for your superb pictures each worth thousands of words, for your films and for your dedication to telling the truth about our wonderful country and continent, even when that truth was ugly” said Peter Sullivan during his speech.
Greg Marinovich, born in South Africa in 1962, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and is co-author of The Bang Bang Club, a non-fiction book on South Africa’s transition to democracy.
He has spent 18 years doing conflict, documentary and news photography around the globe. His photographs have appeared in top international publications such as Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The
Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian of London, among others. He is chair of the World Press master Class nominating committee for Africa, and was a World Press Photo judge in 1994, as well as convenor of the FujiFilm awards in 2000.
Marinovich’s past achievements include:
* Pulitzer Prize for spot news, 1991
* Leica Award for excellence 1990
* Visa d’Or, Scoop Award (France) 1990
* Overseas Press Club 1991
* United Nations award of Recognition for
Services to Humanity, 1994
* Runner up to Pulitzer twice (1992 and 1993)
* Mondi Award for Magazine Photography (1995)
* Diageo Business photography (2007)
* Vodacom Journalist of the Year, Photography (2007)
During his speech, President Zuma he mentioned importance of the Media in aiding democracy and emphasised there was still work to be done within the industry on matters such as transformation. He also mentioned that he was confident that the SABC matter will be resolved and the public broadcaster will
continue with its work. President Zuma congratulated the Nat Nakasa Award winner.
