Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) is an annual humanistic scheme designed to encourage media responsibility. DAME’s first outing was on March 20, 1992. Eight awards in Print Journalism were given to deserving professionals. The Vice President, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu was the Special Guest of Honour. Both the marketing and the outing itself made a strong impression on the media. Four months before the presentation, Tell magazine, in anticipation, wrote on December 2, 1991 that “What looks like a Nigerian version of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for media excellence in the US, is in the making courtesy of Diamond Publications Limited, publishers of Media Review. To be known as Diamond Awards for Media Excellence, the awards are meant to enhance professionalism and reward hard work.”
The Future Awards is not a popularity contest
TFA prides itself as being a thorough, accountable and transparent award process, which is why it takes the rare step of publishing the names of all judges as well as details of how winners are decided so that the press, public and nominees can interrogate and investigate the process.
Over the four-year period, judges including such distinguished persons as Dr. Reuben Abati, Mrs. Hafsat Abiola, Mrs. Siene Alwell-Brown, Mr. Muhtar Bakare, Mr. Segun Odegbami, Mr. Toni Kan, Mrs. Mo Abudu, Mr. Fela Durotoye, Dr. Yemi Osindero amongst others have ensured a process that is thorough and that can stand the test of time
