Al Jazeera Digital wins two Gracie Awards

Al Jazeera Media Network’s Digital Division has won two Gracie Awards for excellence in work produced by, for and about women.

Adding to previous wins for Al Jazeera English, the June 9 announcement marked the first time that Al Jazeera Digital content picked up wins in the prestigious competition.

Hosted by The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF), the organisers of the 46th edition of the awards cited a year marked by exemplary work by women who “spearheaded media progress and those who are setting the path for the future”.

The award for Best Podcast Host award went to Host of The Take, Malika Bilal. The Take is an award-winning, interview-driven news podcast that builds on the global reportage of Al Jazeera English journalists and correspondents.

Bilal joined The Take in 2020, after eight years as co-host of Al Jazeera’s The Stream, the 2013 Gracie Award-winning TV news talk show centred on online community participation. The Take is based in Washington, DC, with Stacey Samuel as its executive producer.

The award for Best Online Producer went to Head of AJ Contrast Zahra Rasool for Still Here, the multiple award-winning immersive experience that uses virtual and augmented reality to explore the impact of imprisonment and gentrification on Black women in the US.

Still Here, which premiered as an installation at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, chronicles the steep challenges facing jailed women as they struggle to rebuild their lives after years in prison.

“I’m proud of what the teams have been able to accomplish in such a short period of time,” said Carlos van Meek, director of digital innovation and programming. “As a legacy broadcaster, we’re not usually known for podcasting or immersive documentaries. The Take and AJ Contrast have been changing all of that.”

“They’re rapidly becoming cornerstones of where we plan to go next as we grow audiences across all of our digital platforms. Awards like this confirm we’re heading in the right direction.”

The Gracie Awards Gala will take place virtually on September 27, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles and will honour women in TV, radio, and digital media.