The annual First Nations Media Awards celebration was held at the Old Quarry, just outside Mparntwe (Alice Springs) on Friday night, 30th November. Hosted by First Nations Media Australia and the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA), the event recognised excellence in all forms of media production.
Around 150 guests travelled from communities in the Torres Strait, Kimberley and Pilbara regions, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Port Augusta, Arnhem Land, Lismore, Brisbane, Yuendumu and other remote Northern Territory communities, the Ngaanyatjarra lands, Canberra, Wilcannia, New Zealand to join local Alice Springs community members for a night of entertainment and celebration in a magical location, starting with a welcome from Kumalie Riley and the Tinkerbee Dancers.
The evening got off to a light-hearted start with guests joining The Everlastings for a sing-a-long and a special guest appearance from 6DBY Chairman Cyril Archer who gave a fabulous rendition of Stand By Me.
MCs Lola Forester (Koori Radio) and Bernard Namok Jnr (TEABBA) kept the evening on track throughout the presentation of 19 award categories. Stuart Nuggett performed in Jingili, an endangered language from the Elliott region in the Northern Territory.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the First Nations Media Lifetime Achievement Award to Freda Glynn, who had traveled from Cooktown to attend the event. Freda was a founder of CAAMA and then Imparja Television. She was recognised for her vision to deliver essential information and news to communities in all the Central Australian Aboriginal languages, something that remains in action today with CAAMA going from strength to strength in the heart of Australia.
In presenting the award, First Nations Media Australia Chair Dot West thanked Glynn for her leadership, acknowledging that it was CAAMA that inspired and guided many of communities around Australia in establishing their own media organisations.
“Just looking around, and watching in the last few days, the group working together, I know with all the praises that you give me, I’ve left it in good hands,” said Freda on accepting the award.
“I was so excited walking around yesterday and seeing everybody so busy, everybody there, so excited about what you’re going to do next. It’s all going to be just keeping that momentum up and loving what you do, because I must tell you I loved every minute of CAAMA. And watching it grow and watching the influence it’s had around the country, I can watch all the channels and hear all the radio and films and I just think, wait until they see us in another 10 years, you wait Australia, we’ve got stories to tell.”
The evening was broadcast live to remote Australia on ICTV, who contributed valuable in-kind support for the event, and via the First Nations media platform, indigiTUBE and Facebook Live. It can be viewed in full on the First Nations Media Australia Facebook page.
FIRST NATIONS MEDIA AWARDS WINNERS 2019
Lifetime Achievement Award
Freda Glynn
First Nations Media Legend Award
John Macumba
Outstanding Contributor Award
Wayne Bynder (pictured left)
Recognition of Contribution
Daniel Featherstone
Best Digital Product Award
ICTV – InLanguage
Best Training and Professional Development Award
Goolarri Media
Best Promo or Campaign Award (TV, Print, Online)
33 Creative – RUOK?
Best Promo or Station ID
PAW Media – Safe Mobile Phone Use community service announcement
Best Photography Award
Ngaarda Media
Best Interview or Oral History
NITV – Living Black for Karla Grant’s interview with Jack Charles about homelessness
Best News or Current Affairs Story
RTR FM – Special Sorry Day broadcast
Best News or Current Affairs Program
RTR FM – Moorditj Mag
Best Music Video Award
Barkly Arts – Let Us Stand Together, a song by Warren H Williams
Best Drama or Comedy Award
Iwantja Arts – Never Stop Riding
Best Sports Coverage Award
PAW Media – 60 Years of Yuendumu sports weekends
Best Culture/Language Award
PAW Media – Governance video translated in Warlpiri
Best Community Television Documentary Award
Jade Runner by Nevanka McKeon
Best Television Documentary Feature Award
She Who Must Be Loved
Best Feature Radio Documentary Series
33 Creative – The Real Podcast
Photo: Richie Guymala, Black Rock Band (top left) Valerie Martin, Chair of PAW Media & Cyril Archer, Chair of 6DBY (top right)
Above: Gilmore Johnston, Paul Tolley, Kevin Ungwanaka, Owen Cole, Rob Mitchell, Karl Hampton (standing)
Jennifer Howard, Freda Glynn & Dr Patricia Miller (sitting)