Paa Kwesi Asare, a television and radio host from Ghana, has been named the 2023 BBC News Komla Dumor Award winner.
Paa Kwesi has been employed as a TV and radio host by Ghanaian television station TV3 since 2016.
Among the prior winners is Dingindaba Solomon Serwanjja (Uganda), Jonah Buyoya (Zambia), Victoria Rubadiri (Kenya), Waihiga Mwaura (Kenya), Amina Yuguda (Nigeria), Didi Akinyelure (Nigeria), and Nancy Kacungira (Uganda) are among the participants.
As part of the award, Paa Kwesi will spend three months working with BBC News teams in London on television, radio, and online. Through training, workshops, and mentoring from top BBC journalists, he will have the chance to further his journalism skills.
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The award was established in 2015 to pay tribute to Komla Dumor, a BBC World News presenter who was known for his dedication to accurately and thoroughly covering African news.
Paa Kwasi Asare says: “I am absolutely thrilled to have won the Komla Dumor Award. This is arguably the most prestigious award for any African journalist, and I am honoured to be in the company of such incredible previous winners. Komla Dumor was a true pioneer in African journalism, and it’s a great privilege to follow in his footsteps. This award gives me the motivation to continue striving for excellence in my career, and I am excited to use this platform to amplify African voices and tell the stories that matter to our continent.”
The judges were impressed by Paa Kwesi’s journalism’s caliber, his capacity to comprehend difficult subjects and concisely explain them, and his dedication to reporting on important stories.
Director of the BBC World Service and Senior Controller of BBC News International Services, Liliane Landor, says: “We are delighted to welcome Paa Kwesi Asare to BBC News. Paa Kwesi is a rising star in African journalism. A passionate advocate for African stories, we are excited to have him join the BBC to continue Komla Dumor’s legacy of telling the stories that matter to Africa.”
