Cultural Perspectives attended the Premier’s Multicultural Media Awards last night, celebrating and recognising the important role multicultural media has in supporting social cohesion and community harmony. Multicultural media are vital in connecting people with their traditions, cultures, identities and languages and the Awards rightly recognise the journalistic merit of the media organisations and individuals who have made a significant impact in this regard.

The Premier’s Multicultural Media Awards is now in its fifth year and has 14 awards categories recognising the achievements of journalists, photographers, editors and publishers across print, radio, television and digital media.

In attendance were Gladys Berejiklian the Premier of NSW and Ray Williams the Minister for Multiculturalism who spoke of the importance of the vital role journalists who work in languages other than English play. On the judging panel were distinguished figures within Journalism such as journalist and media adviser for SBS Radio, Majida Abboud-Saab and Peter Brown, senior newsroom leader of the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. The night was also filled within entertainment from a diverse array of artists such as Ethiopian singer Dereb Desalegm (Dereb the Ambassador) and Fijian Idol winner Ilisavani.

The entrants for 2017 were particularly impressive with nominees tackling broad issues of racism in society such as journalist Usha Ramanujam Arvind’s investigative article on the inherent Eurocentrism in the HSC history curriculum and Yenee Saw’s nomination in the Student Award category for her piece on the racism of her university’s Arts Society.

Cultural Perspectives is proud of have supported such an event through being a Corporate Table and will continue to support the Awards in the future.