NEW YORK – Associated Press journalists and staffers from across the globe are among the winners of the 2024 Oliver S. Gramling Awards and Chairman’s Prize, the highest internal honors of The Associated Press.
Created in 1994 to recognize AP staffers for professional excellence, the Gramling Awards are decided each year by a panel of judges from across the news cooperative.
The $10,000 awards come from a fund established by the estate of the late AP broadcast executive Oliver S. Gramling.
The judges this year evaluated submissions in three categories: journalism, achievement and spirit. They also recommended a Chair’s Prize. The Chair’s Prize, created in 2004, is an honor bestowed for a transformational offering that benefits AP and the news industry it serves. It is not awarded every year.
“This year’s Gramling Award winners span four continents and nearly every AP department. They delivered exceptional journalism under extremely challenging circumstances, encouraged and supported their teammates, and fostered innovation,” said AP President and CEO Daisy Veerasingham. “Above all, each recipient advanced the power of factual, nonpartisan journalism – regardless of their role or where they work.”
$10,000 Oliver S. Gramling Achievement Award
- AI Partnerships Team
This team’s instrumental work positioned AP as an industry leader in AI innovation. The AI Partnerships team is represented by Ivett Chicas, group vice president for national, Latin America and strategic partnerships, New York; Heather Edwards, director of metadata technology and data science, New York; Ruth Gersh, director of global product infrastructure and operations, New York; Jake Kreinberg, director of revenue strategy, New York; Paul Shanley, senior director of strategy, London; and Troy Thibodeaux, director of AI products and services, New Orleans.
- Video Transformation Team
AP’s Video Transformation Team reimagined AP’s global video offering with an emphasis on digital video for customers and audiences. The team is represented by: Bill Burke, director of global video products, Washington; Hau Dinh, assistant producer, Hanoi, Vietnam; Marissa Duhaney, producer, New York; Sara Gillesby, director of global video, London; Debora Gorbutt, head of video content development, London; Niko Price, deputy director of global video, London; and Casey Silvestri, digital video news editor, New York.
$10,000 Oliver S. Gramling Spirit Award
- Susie Blann, Ukraine news director, Kyiv
Blann’s selfless and empathic leadership during the third year of the Russia-Ukraine war has been indispensable to the AP. She has united the team, guiding them to the highest standards editorially and constantly keeping their safety, security and well-being at the forefront.
- Wassim Marzouk, office assistant, Cairo
Marzouk’s experience and skill navigating the bureaucracy of Egypt – and his considerable endurance – have served AP staff well for many years. His tireless efforts to get AP Gaza staff and their families to safety during the Israel-Hamas war have been crucial.
- Wafaa Shurafa, video producer, Gaza City
Shurafa has exhibited relentless commitment to covering the Israel-Hamas war and an unwavering dedication to her colleagues under extremely difficult conditions. Since the war began, she has been essential to news coverage and to keeping her colleagues safe.
$10,000 Oliver S. Gramling Journalism Award
- Pandemic’s Missing Students Reporting Team
Bianca Vázquez Toness and Sharon Lurye delivered eye-opening reporting on absenteeism in American schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through innovative storytelling and groundbreaking visual techniques, they found a staggering number of children who disappeared from school and shed light on the reasons why.
- Chinedu Asadu, correspondent, Lagos, Nigeria
Asadu produced courageous reporting from West Africa, one of the world’s most challenging regions. Asadu has defied extreme heat, power cuts, malaria, widespread corruption and official intransigence to file stories with speed and to the highest standards of journalistic integrity.
$10,000 Associated Press Chairman’s Prize
- B2C Team
AP’s B2C team’s dynamic and cross-functional work transformed and expanded AP’s digital presence for consumers. Working on a tight timeline, the B2C team successfully built and launched the new AP News website, enabling AP to better engage audiences with its fact-based journalism and more dynamic coverage of breaking news.
This year, AP’s staff of Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon — comprising dozens of colleagues — was recognized with the 2024 Presidential Citation for Courage in Journalism for their critical efforts in covering Israel-Hamas War under incredibly difficult circumstances. Despite dire threats to their safety and well-being, especially in Gaza, staff in the Middle East have not wavered in their professionalism and commitment to reporting on war accurately, independently and without bias.
About AP
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day. Online: www.ap.org
Contact
Lauren Easton
Vice President of Corporate Communications
The Associated Press
212-621-7005
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Nicole Meir
Media Relations Manager
The Associated Press
212-621-7536
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