Gozitan journalist Alvin Scicluna won the Best Overseas Assignment Award sponsored by Emirates, with his three entries broadcast on TVM. For the 17th consecutive year, the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM) organised the Malta Journalism Awards, which is Malta’s annual journalistic competition.

Scicluna’s three entries tackled Gozo in the EU Committee of the Regions, Pope John Paul II as “the Pope that won”, and reflections on Christmas in Bethlehem, Strasbourg and Gozo.

Emirates Manager for Malta and Cyprus, Paul Fleri Soler, presented the category trophy to Alvin Scicluna during the presentation ceremony held at Robert Samut Hall in Floriana. Apart from the category trophy, designed by Alfred Mizzi, and Lm150 in prize money, Alvin also won two Emirates return tickets to Dubai and three nights accommodation in a four star hotel. Brandon Pisani from Union Print placed second.

The Best Overseas Assignment aims to give due recognition to those journalists who strive, sometimes against great odds and with very limited resources, to cover news stories abroad. Alvin Scicluna also placed first in the Broadcast Journalism – TV script and the Cultural Journalism categories.

Emirates offers services to 97 destinations in 61 countries.

The airline operates five weekly flights between Dubai and Malta via Larnaca, Cyprus, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, on the Boeing 777-200.