Primedia Broadcasting’s CEO, Terry Volkwyn, was awarded top honours at the 1st for Women Insurance Company Women of the Decade in Media Award on Thursday, taking the award after being nominated twice before in previous years.
Rising Star award went to Highveld Stereo DJ Anele Mdoda, while there were two Lifetime Achiever winners, journalist Peta Thornycroft and media researcher Beatrice Khubeka.
“I’m relieved to have won,” Volkwyn said, to a background of cheers and clapping, particularly from the Primedia table. ”The pressure from my team has been enormous!”
Volkwyn beat out major talent from City Press editor, Ferial Haffajee, and CEO of Media 24, Esmare Weideman, both phenomenal finalists in the annual awards event.
CEO of Wag the Dog Publishers and publisher of The Media magazine, Sandra Gordon, organiser of the Women in The Media awards, said she would continue hosting the awards as long as their was a glass ceiling hampering women working in the media.
She said the finalist in this year’s awards, which took into account the past decade, were recognised “recognised because they are female and thus historically disadvantaged, but because as people, they have added immensely to the media landscape and to our fledgling democracy”.
“These women have impacted not just on the media but on society across the social, political and economic spheres, “ she said. “They are no shrinking violets.”
Watch the video of the awards here.
