UNCA To Honour Michael Douglas & Stevie Wonder at Award Ceremony

By an IPS Correspondent Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 9 2013 (IPS) - At its annual award ceremony next week, the U.N. Correspondents’ Association (UNCA) will honour two internationally-known celebrities:  Hollywood movie star Michael Douglas and musician, singer and song writer Stevie Wonder.

Douglas, who is the U.N. Messenger of Peace for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, will receive the UNCA Global Citizen of the Year award. A mega star in Hollywood, Douglas has won two Oscars and four Golden Globe awards during his long career.

Wonder, who is the U.N. Messenger of Peace for advocacy for persons with disabilities, will receive the UNCA Global Advocate of the Year award. He has been ranked number five in the Billboard list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists of the world.

The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday Dec 18 at Cipriani on 42^nd street, New York city.

Meanwhile, UNCA has also announced winners of its 2013 annual awards, for excellence in UN reporting, in four categories.

The Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize
for written media
Sponsored by The Alexander Bodini Foundation

GOLD
BENAZIR SHAH, Newsweek Pakistan

SILVER
COLUM LYNCH, Foreign Policy/Washington Post

BRONZE
AMY YEE, freelancer

The Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize
for broadcast journalism

GOLD
NAVINA LALA, Westdeutscher Rundfunk Koln (WDR)

JOINT SILVER
SHAMEER RASOOLDEEN, News 1st, MTV
ZILLUR RAHMEN, Asian Television Network Bangla Ltd, Bangladesh

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation/UNCA Gobal Prize
for coverage of climate change

GOLD
NATALIA MONTAGNA, Channel 10, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires

SILVER
AMY GOODMAN, Democracy Now! TV & Radio

BRONZE
SMRITI  MALLAPATY,  freelancer

The United Nations Foundation Prize
for coverage, in any medium, of the humanitarian and development aspects of the UN

JOINT GOLD
LOUIS CHARBONNEAU, Reuters
THALIF DEEN, Inter Press Service (IPS)

SILVER
LAZARO MABUNDA, O País, Mozambique

The panel of judges include: Ian Williams (Tribune London), David Andelman (World Policy Journal), Antonio Carlucci (L’Espresso), Prof. Lonnie Isabel (CUNY Graduate School of Journalism), Sally Jacobsen (Associated Press), Georges Leclere (LGMA), Lelei Lelaulu (CaribbeanMedia Exchange), Rory O’Connor (Globalvision), Robert Skinner (United Nations Foundation).