Two former recipients of our highest honours are remembered ahead of the 2024 ceremony.
The Independent’s, Defence Correspondent Kim Sengupta, died aged 68 in July. And last month celebrated photographer Anwar Hussein, 85, passed away.
In 2016, Kim Sengupta was named the Journalist of the Year at the Asian Media Awards.
During his career he had covered stories nationally and internationally, including conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, the Balkans, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Somalia, Darfur, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Georgia and Northern Ireland.
He had also written about non-conflict topics elsewhere in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.
Accepting the honour on the night Kim was ‘humble and gracious’, as always.
Speaking in 2016 Kim Sengupta said, “It’s tough. Print journalism in particular is going through tremendous problems at the moment with falling circulation, falling advertising.
“But when I speak to students at universities and schools, there are extraordinary numbers that want to be journalists.
“I ask them in the current climate: ‘Why do they want to be journalists when they could be making more money in the city or doing law?’
“But they still have got this desire to explain what journalism is, to try and understand issues. It’s going to be tough but they will enjoy it.”
Anwar Hussein was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Media Award in 2019.
In the seventies Anwar became a set photographer for classic movies such as 24 Hours of Le Mans, Papillon, Tommy and the Bond films.
Then he was ready for a new challenge and despite facing a level of hostility from some quarters, as he was seen as a music photographer, he went on to cover the British Royal Family.
By the time of Prince Charles’ engagement to Diana Spencer, Anwar was an official ‘Royal photographer’ documenting their daily activities.
Anwar’s reportage earned him sessions with some of the world’s most celebrated people – from Steve McQueen, Roger Moore, Mick Jagger and Muhammad Ali to Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Jomo Kenyatta, Nelson Mandela and 4 American presidents. He has also published two books on Pope John Paul II.
Speaking to us in 2019 he said, “To receive this Outstanding Contribution to Media Award is a wonderful and unexpected honour.
“I don’t mind admitting that as a young Asian arriving in Britain in1963, life was a struggle, but I persevered in following my dreams. I still find it hard to believe my journey in the world of photojournalism.
“I’ve had the pleasure of photographing some amazing personalities including The Royal Family. As a young boy growing up in Tanzania, the closest I got to The Queen was seeing her image on a postage stamp.
“Decades later I’ve photographed her thousands of times and even had my own images of her used on stamps.”
This year’s Asian Media Awards return to the Hilton Manchester Deansgate on Friday October 25.
Previous recipients of an Asian Media Award include Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Waris Hussein, Art Malik, Mehdi Hasan, Nina Wadia, Anita Rani, Shobna Gulati, Faisal Islam, Kulvinder Ghir, Adil Ray, Lisa Aziz, Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Tina Daheley & Mihir Bose.
The University of Salford are Premier Partners to the Asian Media Awards.
Partners to the awards include ITV, EssenceMediacom, Reach PLC, Women In Journalism & Lancashire Mind.
The awards are also supported by Manchester Metropolitan University, AMT Lawyers, DKR Accountants, Opus Broadband, Janan, Hilton Manchester Deansgate, Fritz AV, Payal Events & Cleartwo.
