Art Malik, Fatima Manji and Shelley King among winners at AMAs

Journalist and broadcaster Fatima Manji, actor Art Malik, Nitin Ganatra and Coronation Street’s Shelley King were honoured at the 2016 Asian Media Awards.

Channel Four presenter Fatima Manji was named Media Personality of the Year on the night (Thursday 27 October).

Art Malik was presented with the Services to British Television and Film award by all three sisters of the late Sophiya Haque – Aisha, Sayera and Suraya – whom the award is named after.

Coronation Street actress Shelley King was honoured with the 2016 Outstanding Contribution to Media award. The award came 50 years after she first came to the UK from India as an aspiring actress.

The AMA’s recognise excellence in the media with categories in journalism, online, radio, television and marketing.The awards are now in their fourth year and were sponsored by the University of Salford.

The ceremony was hosted by ITV broadcaster and presenter Nina Hossain and featured a special message from musician and philanthropist Annie Lennox to support charity partners The Asian Circle and Oxfam.

The MMU and Routes into Languages Journalist of the Year was won by the Independent’s Defence Correspondence Kim Sengupta, whilst Arif Ansari picked up the Regional Journalist of the Year award.

The Best Investigation category featured work by an all-female list of reporters, producers and directors. It tackled a wide range of work including climate change, forced marriages and extremism. The award went to ‘ISIS: the British Women Supporters Unveiled.’

Kaamil Ahmed was named the University of Salford Outstanding Young Journalist of the Year.

BBC Newsnight won the TV Report of the Year award for their two part piece – ‘The Asian Women Stopped from Becoming Councillors.’

Nitin Ganatra who plays Masood Ahmed in Eastenders was presented with the Best TV Character honour.

Star Plus were named TV Channel of the Year for the fourth year running.

Ambreen Razia was named the AMA Best Newcomer and 2015 Best Video Channel winner Parle Patel was on hand to present the 2016 honour to Glasgow based vlogger Rahim Pardesi.

Murdered by My Father, a BBC Studios Production for BBC Three was named Best TV Programme.

 In the radio section Sunrise Radio won the Radio Station of the Year award for the first time ahead of three time winners the BBC Asian Network.

 The BBC Asian Network did pick up the best Radio Show category with Bobby Friction and his team winning a strong category.

 Yasmeen Khan was named Radio Presenter of the Year and Sunrise Yorkshire won the Regional Radio Station of the Year award.

 BBC Asian Network won the Best Live Event category whilst Wipers, a production which honours the sacrifices of Asian soldiers in the first World War was named Best Stage Production.

 Media Hive were named Media Agency of the Year and Anjna Raheja collected the Media Professional of the Year award.

 The #WhatIReallyReallyWant Campaign won the newly launched Creative Media Award.

 The Publication of the Year honour went to Asian Wealth Magazine and Jay Shetty won the Best Blog category. The Best Website award was won by sister-hood.com.

Click here to view full list of AMA 2016 winners.

The awards, sponsored by the University of Salford, took place at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate. Earlier in September a shortlist announcement was held at ITV, the London Studios.


The University of Salford are premier sponsors to the 2016 events and partners include ITV, MediaCom, Press Association Training and the Manchester Evening News.

The official charity partners for 2016 are The Asian Circle and Oxfam.

The Asian Media Awards 2016 are supported by Hilton Manchester Deansgate, Manchester Metropolitan University, Routes into Languages, AMT Lawyers, Espoke Living, Supreme Dream Events, Cleartwo & Payal.

For further information please e-mail umbreen@asianmediaawards.com.

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