ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Rudaw Media Network received three Stevie Awards in a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey on Friday. The awards honoured the documentary A Year of War, a media training project jointly run by Rudaw and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Rudaw’s Digital Director Brwa Kyani.
A Year of War is a poignant chronicle of life under conflict. It was filmed in February 2023. Rudaw’s reporter Dilnya Rahman and cameraman Ahmed Omar produced the film in Ukraine's embattled cities Bakhmut and Kherson, with editing by Birwa Omar. The documentary offers a raw glimpse into wartime realities.
"I am really honored to receive this Stevie Award. Being [a] voice for people from different backgrounds has led [me] to receive an award," Rahman said after she received the award.
The film won a gold award in the Documentary category.
Brwa Kyani, director of Rudaw Digital, won the Stevie Gold Award in the Social Media Manager of the Year category. Kyani drew the committee's attention to Rudaw's unrivaled social media presence and won recognition for success in social media management at a global level.
"This Golden Stevie Award is not just a testimony to my work, rather [the] true dedication and courage and innovation of my team. Also I am very pleased to see myself as an example of Kurdish youth that are making [their] mark and leading the way globally in all industries," Kyani said when receiving the award.
The third award was bronze for a joint project between Rudaw and the UNFPA in the Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year - in the Middle East and Africa category. The project trains women journalists in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The Stevie committee recognized the program as "a huge step, as it's the first joint project of its kind between a Middle Eastern media and the United Nations."
Garik Hayrapetyan, UNFPA’s representative in Iraq, said that winning the award "is a testament to the transformative power of partnerships in advancing women's empowerment and sustainable development."
The Stevie Awards are prestigious and well-known international honours. Twelve thousand international brands, institutions, and their works and capabilities were nominated. Previous media recipients include CNN, NBC, Bloomberg, and Al-Jazeera.
"Rudaw is constantly growing and improving its work. We will take bigger steps to become more influential and progress worldwide," said Bestun Nuri, director of Rudaw Newsgathering.
Updated at 9:03 pm
