Wide smiles caked on the faces of journalists gathered at Kempinski Hotel in Accra, marked the return of the annual award ritual.

For a bragging-rights sensitive group of media outlets which have been telling everybody that they are the best, the award is an i-told-you-so moment in the form of a glass plaque and a certificate.

With over 100 awards for grabs, the Multimedia Group Limited won 10 awards including seven from the Joy Newsroom.

Adom New editor Amoadu Christian Ohene got an honorary award for a veteran contribution to media excellence while Chief Executive of the media empire Kwasi Twum was also honoured.

Joy Newsroom continues to be a mining ground for award-winning journalists whose eye-opening work has once again caught the eyes of award panel of the Ghana Journalists Association.

Joy News’ Ernest Kojo Manu becomes a new addition to the gallery of stars as serial winners continued to pick more awards almost for fun.

Photo: Joy News presenter Ernest Kojo Manu displays his award. Watching on is Joojo Cobbinah [extreme left] and Seth Kwame Boateng [ immediate left]

The late evening news presenter picked an award for Human Rights (With focus on child protection) while Seth Kwame Boateng won Best Feature story for Radio for his documentary work ‘Balls in Danger’ and two more awards  – the Ghana Peace Award and Health Reporting.

Joseph Opoku Gakpo won  Joy News’ Joojo Cobbinah received his award for Rural Reporting.

Photo: Joojo Cobbinah and Joseph Opoku Gakpo all won on the night

Latif Iddris who suffered months seeking treatment for an unresolved police brutality would find some comfort in the award for his bold work in a documentary highlighting government’s war on illegal mining.

Myjoyonline.com’s photojournalist David Andoh won the award for photography becoming the first to win it three times.

Photo: David Andoh collects his award.

In a precursor to Joy News sterling performance at the 23^rd GJA Awards night, Manasseh Azure picked West Africa’s Best Journalist Award at the West Africa Media Excellence Awards (WAMECA) 2018 as the private media network collected three other awards.

The Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo-Addo lectured vital and enlightening lessons on investigative journalism which required an exhausted audience to work up their organs of attention.

Journalist more comfortable with talking, walking than sitting, the more than six hours event was torture perhaps compensated by the photo opportunity for the winners, nice music by the Fire Service band and Kempinksi Hotel’s food for the also-runs.

Photo: Managing Director, MultiTV. Santokh Singh [extreme right], joins in applauding award winners on the night.

Photo: [Extreme Right Chief Operating Officer for the Multimedia Group Ltd Ken Ansah took an honorary award for CEO Kwasi Twum.

Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu was chair for the 23^rd edition of the awards. The theme for the 23^rd GJA Awards was  “State of Investigative journalism: Boundaries of privacy and borders of the public interest.”

Photo: Joy News presenter Gifty Andoh Appiah was co-host at the 23^rd edition of the GJA Awards.

2017 GJA Award Winners 

Journalist of the Year 2017 - Bernard Koku Avle (Citi FM)

Most Promising Journalist of the Year - Alice Aryitey (GhOne TV)

News Reporting (Print) - Severious Kale-Dery (Daily Graphic)

Best Sports Reporter (TV) - Saddick Adams (Atinka TV)

Features (Radio) - Seth Kwame Boateng (Joy FM) 

Features (TV) - Peggy Ama Donkor (GTV)

Investigative Reporting - Stanley Nii Blewu (TV3)

Maritime - Grace Nana Esi Boateng (Oman FM)

Education - Peter Quao Adator (TV3)

News Reporting (Electronic) - Peter Quao Adator (TV3)

Domestic Tourism (Print) - Charles Andoh (The Mirror)

Features (Print) - Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho (Daily Graphic)

Environment (Electronic) - Portia Gabor (TV3)

Human Rights (Print) - Samuel Adadi Akapule (Ghanaian Times)

Sports Journalist (Radio) - Dan Kwaku Yeboah (Peace FM)

Best Newspaper - Daily Graphic 

Best Radio Station - Peace FM

Human Rights (Child Protection - TV) - Ernest Manu (Joy Mews) 

Human Rights (Child Protection- Radio) - Rebecca Ekpe (GBC Radio)

Best TV station - UTV

Best Layout & Designed Newspaper - Daily Graphic 

Agriculture (Print) - Ama Amankwaah Baafi (Graphic Business)

Best Photojournalist - David Andoh (Myjoyonline)

Best Health Report (Radio) - Nana Yaa Konadu (Peace FM) 

Best Health Report (Print) - Doreen Hammond (Daily Graphic)

Domestic Tourism (TV) - UTV

Oil and Gas - Moses Dotse Aklorbortu (Daily Graphic)

Best Digital Journalism - GNA 

Small and Medium Enterprises - Christian Akorli (GNA)

Business Finance and Economic Reporting - Suleiman Mustapha (Daily Graphic) 

Best Morning Show (Radio) - Citi FM Breakfast Show

Best Morning Show (TV) - Good Morning Ghana (Metro TV)

Best Report in Health (TV) - Seth Kwame Boateng (Joy News) 

Best Rural (Electronic) - Joojo Cobinnah (Joy News)

Best Rural Reporting (Print) - David Kodjo-Asinesi

Mining (Print) - Gabriel Ahiabor (Daily Graphic)

Mining (Electronic) - Kwasi Anum

Sanitation and Hygiene - Caesar Abagali (GNA)

Best WASH - Justice Adoboe (Xinhua News Agency)

Best Programme (TV - Akan) - Di Asa (Atinka TV)

Best Development Journalism - Timothy Ngnenbe (Daily Graphic)

Best in Disability Reporting (Electronic) - Alice Aryitey (GhOne TV)

Best Development Journalism (Electronic) - Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman (GhOne)

Best HIV AIDS Reporter - Linda Tenya Ayettey (Daily Guide) 

Best Transport and Road Safety - Severious Kale-Dery and Seth J. Bokpe (Daily Graphic)

Environment (Print) - Seth J. Bokpe (Daily Graphic)

Agriculture (Electronic) - Joseph Opoku Gakpo (Joy News)

Best Female Journalist - Jamila Akweley Okertchiri (Daily Guide)

Best Cartoonist - Akosua (Daily Guide)

Democracy and Peace Building - UTV

Best Crime and Court Reporting- Joyce Danso (GNA)

Disability (Print) - Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah (Daily Graphic)

Anti-Galamsey - Kojo Agyemang, Latif Iddrisu, Godwin Arthur, Stephen Kwaku Fosu, Timothy Ngnenbe, Joyce Gyekye