Yay, yay! We're on top of FCJ!

GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - The Group Editors editorial and design teams have once again proven their expertise by being nominated for various awards in the prestigious annual Avbob FCJ Excellence Awards.

The FCJ judges (Forum of Community Journalists) had a busy six weeks sifting through the 531 entries to determine the top of the crop in each of the 18 categories. The nominees were announced on Monday 24 June and the winners of the 2023 awards will be announced at a prize-giving gala dinner on Friday 2 August in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The A-team

George Herald journalist Michelle Pienaar made the group especially proud by being nominated in four individual categories, including the most coveted award of all - national Journalist of the Year. Pienaar also scooped the Journalist of the Year Award in 2019 when she wrote an in-depth crime series on cold cases in the George area.

Facing stiff competition from some of the top community journalists in South Africa, the other awards that Pienaar could potentially bring home are for Best Digital Reporting, Best Hard News Writing and Best Human Interest Writing. We are rooting for this talented all rounder!

Journalist Linzetta Calitz of Mossel Bay Advertiser also caused a flurry of excitement with her nomination for the Alet Roux Award as Young Journalist of the Year. On top of this she is in the running for the Editorial Comment Writing award. No mean feat for a youngster!

Mossel Bay Advertiser Editor, Louise Karsten is a nominee in the editorial category for her excellent regular column in the paper and her online blog.

Colin Hoffmann, who freelances for the Advertiser, also received a nomination for best editorial comment.

The Mossel Bay Advertiser nominees are Editor Louise Karsten, Journalist Linzetta Calitz and Freelancer Colin Hoffmann.

Veteran sport writer and photographer, South Cape Forum Editor, Hugo Redelinghuys, raked in an impressive three individual nominations. For two of the awards Redelinghuys will be up against the cream of the crop of the country's sport writers and photographers, but this year he is also nominated as one of the best creative writers in South Africa.

South Cape Forum Editor Hugo Redelinghuys has scooped a multitude of awards during the course of his career.

Former Knysna-Plett Herald News Editor, Blake Linder is nominated in the sport writing category and for his general photography skills. Linder relocated to Mbombela in Mpumalanga in March this year where he is a Senior Journalist at the Caxton publication, Lowvelder.

Top papers

The Group Editors newspapers nominated for the Best Paid Newspaper of 2023 Award are South Cape Forum (Editor Hugo Redelinghuys; Designer Periëtte Nel), Mossel Bay Advertiser (2023 Editor, now Group Editor Suzette Herrer and Designer Annalene Lindeque), and Knysna-Plett Herald (2023 News Editor Blake Linder; Designer Periëtte Nel). George Herald (Editor Lizette da Silva; Designer Annalene Lindeque) and Knysna-Plett Herald are both in the running for the Best Back Page award.

George Herald Editor Lizette da Silva has won numerous awards in the past. This year the George Herald back page is in the running for an award.

Group Editors Designer Annalene Lindeque

Group Editors Designer Periëtte Nel

Group CEO of Group Editors, Servaas de Kock, is proud of his team's performance. "Last year we already performed very well as a group, but this year's nominations exceed all our expectations. We are looking forward to bringing home many awards in August."

Former Knysna News Editor Blake Linder shows off the awards he won at the FCJ Awards last year.