Farm Radio Awards
Farm Radio International celebrates excellence within its radio network with two awards. The George Atkins Communications Award celebrates an outstanding broadcaster in our network who is committed to family farmers and rural communities. The Liz Hughes Award for Her Farm Radio celebrates a program team that addresses gender equality and has had an impact on the community.
Winners will be announced at a special celebration on World Radio Day 2024.
The George Atkins Communications Award recognizes individual radio broadcasters for their outstanding commitment and contribution to food security and poverty reduction in low-income countries. It is named after George Atkins, the Founding Director of Farm Radio International.
It is presented each year to broadcasters who demonstrate overall excellence in responding to small-scale farmers' needs, as well as a strong partnership with Farm Radio International.
The broadcasters who win the George Atkins Communications Award receive a certificate and a prize of $500 CA.
Victor Asumani, Umunthu FM, Malawi
Alice Lungu, Zambia News and Information Services, Zambie
Djénèbou Traoré, Radio Benbakan, Mali
To be eligible for the award:
- You must work at a radio station that has been a Farm Radio International broadcasting partner for a minimum of one year.
- You must have at least three years of experience as a radio broadcaster. This includes time spent volunteering as a broadcaster.
Past winners of the George Atkins Communication Award are not eligible to apply for 5 years after receiving the award. If you're not sure of your station’s eligibility, please contact radio@farmradio.org.
To apply for the award, complete and email an application form to one of the addresses below, along with a photo of yourself working as a broadcaster, and a recording of an episode of your program.
Côte d’Ivoire: cotedivoire@farmradio.org
Burkina Faso: burkinafaso@farmradio.org
Ethiopia: ethiopia@farmradio.org
Ghana: ghana@farmradio.org
Mali: mali@farmradio.org
Nigeria: nigeria@farmradio.org
Tanzania: tanzania@farmradio.org
Uganda: uganda@farmradio.org
If you do not live in one of these countries, please send your application form to: radio@farmradio.org
Applications will be accepted in English, French, Amharic, Hausa, Swahili, and Portuguese The application for the George Atkins Communication Award will open in September 2024
The Liz Hughes Award for Her Farm Radio recognizes excellent radio programs that serve women listeners. Winning radio programs explore and advance gender equality—for example, by sharing women’s experiences and opinions, addressing topics that are important to women, or underlining the role of men in gender equality.
The award is given to the station team who make this program happen, including the manager(s), producer(s), host(s), presenter(s), reporter(s), technician(s), and others.
Winning programs can deal with any subject! In other words, the program does not need to focus exclusively on gender equality issues. For example, you can apply with a program about health, education, agriculture, or a combination of topics. What’s important is that your program, no matter the topic, serves women!
In recognition of their excellent work, the winning broadcast team will receive a certificate and a $1,000 CAD prize.
Any Farm Radio International broadcasting partner in sub-Saharan Africa can apply for the Liz Hughes Award! To apply, broadcasters or station managers must submit ALL of the following items via email to radio@farmradio.org on behalf of their program team:
- The application form below, completed with detailed answers.
- A recording of your program. (Please submit an episode aired in the past 12 months.)
- A full transcription of the recorded episode in either English, French, Portuguese, Amharic, or Swahili. The transcript (a written version of your episode, including every word spoken by the host(s) and each guest) ensures that the award judges can understand the content and quality of your work. We are also accepting audio submissions of the applications
- A typical program lineup / runsheet in Word or PDF format.
Applications will be accepted in English, French, Amharic, Hausa, Swahili, and Portuguese. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2024.
Meet the past winners:
2019: Voice of Kigezi’s B’Omugaiga program
2020: Uganda Community Green Radio's Nyinabwenge program
2021: Radio Communautaire Salama’s Ujeuri Dhidi Ya Wanawake program
2022 : Radio Média (Leadership for women) Bouaké program
2023: Radio Évangile Albarka, Égalité des genres et équilibre social program
2024: Peace FM Nigeria Wake Daya program
She Show from Ahomka FM, Ghana (Runner-up prize)
Agriculture et Developpement Show from Radio Rurale Locale de Banikoara, Benin (Runner-up prize)
Jinsia na Maendeleo from Radio Maria, Tanzania (Runner-up prize)
Radio Kénédougou’s Ladamou Blon (Runner-up prize)
