Saudi Minister of Information Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari honored the winners of the fourth edition of the Media Excellence Award, during a ceremony held in Riyadh on Sunday.
Saudi Poet Khalaf bin Hazal was awarded the Special Honor for his patriotic songs and his valuable poetic collection that has been popular in Saudi Arabia for decades.
The Independent Arabia newspaper won the Press Material Award for the piece "Journalism in the Language of Infographics."
Al-Dosari also honored the official spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Mohammad Al-Abdulaali, who played an important role in spreading awareness, clarifying facts and enhancing public safety during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The award this year saw the qualification of nearly 20 entries, out of 2,355, to the final stage to compete across six media platforms. The participating government agencies exceeded 90, while entries from the private and non-profit sectors totaled more than 65.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) won the Photography Award for the photo "A Picture for a Thousand Reports," which showed a member of the Saudi military during the evacuation of people affected by the war in Sudan.
The Ministry of National Guard won the Creative Video Award, while the Saudi Ministry of Interior received the Excellence Award in Government Media for its distinguished media contribution to the security and safety of society.
Riyadh Radio won the Audio Producer Award and the Television Producer Award went to the Saudi Channel for its program titled "Earth."
The ceremony featured a short film about the development media over the past year. It reviewed the programs, activities and achievements that contributed to a qualitative leap in media. The film highlighted the efforts of the Media Forum, the periodic government conference, and the "Treasures" series that sheds light on unique Saudi stories.