THE second presentation of Britain’s Barbara Blake-Hannah Award (BBH), named after the veteran Jamaican journalist, has gone to Aniefiok Ekpoudom, a writer for The Guardian, British Vogue and GQ publications.

Ekpoudom, who was born in Britain to Nigerian and Cameroonian parents, follows British-born Jamaican Kuba Shand Baptiste, the first winner of the award meant to level the playing field in UK journalism which has largely excluded blacks and minorities.

Ekpoudom’s work for which he took the 2021 award included an article in The Guardian’s Special Edition which was guest edited by film maker, Steve McQueen; an interview with singer Celeste for British GQ in May; and a special article on African immigrants fleeing from civil war.

“I don’t centre my stories on the sole themes of racism, but more on probing deeper to bring stories of community, loss, music and more that have flowed in numerous under-reported corners of the UK, and examining various shades of black life,” he said.

The BBH Award, which was presented late last month, came about in 2020 after a young black British journalist, Bree Johnson-Obeng, happened upon an intriguing story originating 54 years ago, revealing that Blake-Hannah, the first black on-screen journalist in Britain, was fired from her job on Thames Television,because of complaints from racist white viewers.

At the same time, the Press Gazette was looking to improve diversity in media entries for the British Journalism Awards. They immediately accepted a suggestion from Johnson-Obeng – who had interviewed Blake-Hannah on Sky News about her dismissal nine months after making British history in 1968 – to create an award to recognise her.

The Gazette, UK’s leading online media trade magazine dedicated to journalism, named one of its British Journalism Awards after Blake-Hannah to recognise “the best up-and-coming writer from a minority background”.

Entries from non-white journalists and females who do not have a publication to support their entry were made free of cost, thanks to Google. The prize includes a trophy and an all-expenses-paid trip to Jamaica, courtesy of the Jamaica Tourist Board.

— Desmond Allen