Finalists in the prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2012 Competition were announced today by Ferial Haffajee, Chair of the independent judging panel. The competition is now in its 17th year. This year the competition received entries from 42 countries across the continent, including French and Portuguese speaking Africa.

There are 34 finalists from 12 countries:

Joshua Anny, Joy FM, Ghana Tunde Akingbade, Freelance, The Guardian on Sunday, Nigeria Manar Attiya, Ahram Hebdo, Egypt Adriaan Basson & Piet Rampedi, City Press, South Africa Najlae Benmbarek, 2M TV, Maroc Demelza Bush, Craig McKune & Verashni Pillay, Mail & Guardian Online, South Africa Ramusel Graça,Televisão Santomense, São Tomé e Príncipe Arsénio Henriques, Soico – STV, Moçambique Edward Echwalu, Freelance for The Observer, Uganda Teresa Sofia Fortes, A Semana, Cabo Verde Isabel João, Novo Jornal, Angola Ahaoma Kanu, National Daily Newspaper, Nigeria Tom Mboya & Evanson Nyaga, Citizen TV, Kenya Andrew Mulenga, The Post Newspaper, Zambia Nimrod Taabu Mwagamoyo & Charles Kinyua Kariuki, NTV, Kenya Waihiga Mwaura & Jephitha Mwai Mwangi, Citizen TV, Kenya John Muchangi Njiru, The Star, Kenya Peter Nkanga, Elor Nkereuwem, Musikilu Mojeed & Idris Akinbajo, NEXT on Sunday, Nigeria Antoine de Ras, The Star, South Africa Megan Small & Clive Mtshali, 3rd Degree, e.tv, South Africa Stephen Ssenkaaba, New Vision, Uganda Joy Summers, Carte Blanche, South Africa Gerald Tenywa, Saturday Vision, Uganda Nelson Wesonga, Daily Monitor, Uganda

The winners of the competition will be announced at an Award Ceremony and Gala Evening in Lusaka, Zambia on Saturday 21 July, 2012.

The hosts for the evening will be Isha Sesay, host of CNN International’s NewsCenter and Franklin Tembo Jnr, ZNBC presenter.

Announcing the finalists, Ferial Haffajee said: “The growing quality of the entries we pored over is a reflection of a growing continent claiming its place in the sun. We were impressed by the enhanced quality and competitiveness of the work before us; by the heart and soul poured onto pages and into pixels; by the adventurist spirit of the entries which came from more countries than ever before. In print, in radio, in television it is clear that African journalism is in a growth spurt, claiming its stake as world-class and globally competitive. A bit like our continent.”

The independent judging panel, chaired by Ferial Haffajee, Editor-in-Chief, City Press, South Africa includes: Ikechukwu Amaechi, Editor, Daily Independent, Nigeria; Amadou Mahtar Ba, CEO, African Media Initiative; Jean-Paul Gérouard, Editor-in-Chief, France Télévisions; Joel Kibazo, journalist and media consultant; Arlindo Lopes, General Manager, Regulatory & Corporate, Angola and Mozambique, MultiChoice Africa Ltd; Zipporah Musau, former Managing Editor, Magazines, The Standard Group Ltd, Kenya; Kim Norgaard, CNN Bureau Chief, South Africa. Bruno Manteigas, UK Correspondent, Agência Lusa assisted in the judging of the Portuguese General News Category.

Freelance journalist Paul McNally assisted the judging panel and carried out the first round of pre-selection, removing the entries that didn’t meet the required journalistic standards to be put forward to the judging panel for the next stage of judging. Paul was the winner of the Health and Medical Category at the 2009 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards, and a runner-up in the HIV / AIDS Reporting category of the same year.

This year the competition welcomes Nokia on board to sponsor the Digital Journalism Award, joining a list of sponsors who continue to lend their valuable support to the awards: African Development Bank (AfDB); The Coca-Cola Company; Ecobank; Ericsson; IPP Media, Tanzania; Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), UNICEF and A24 Media.

An all expenses paid five day programme of workshops, media forums, networking has been set up for the finalists during the run up to the award ceremony on 21 July 2012

Tony Maddox, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of CNN International said: “This year has seen a record number of entries for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards from a diverse array of countries across the continent. The quality and excellence of the work submitted continues to rise year on year, ensuring that the 2012 competition maintains its place as the most prestigious Pan African Awards for journalists”.