Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks business, today launched its annual Africa Business Reporting Awards for 2012.  The Awards, initiated by Diageo in 2004, recognise journalists and editors who provide high quality coverage of the business environment in Africa. Diageo believes that better and more accurate reporting plays a critical role in framing Africa's economic prospects and challenges. It encourages greater interest in doing good business, which in turns creates the right environment for sustained prosperity on the continent.

Nick Blazquez, President, Diageo Africa, outlined the importance of the Awards:

"Business interest in Africa has clearly accelerated as the world focuses on the continent's impressive growth prospects. As a company that operates right across Africa, we at Diageo understand the increasingly important role business journalism has in creating the right environment to operate successfully and to attract long-term investment. As I look back over the development of these Awards, I recognise a sizeable shift in the standards of business journalism and the increased efforts of the media both inside and outside of Africa to promote trade and enterprise on the continent. I take great pride that Diageo can celebrate these achievements and look forward to another year of outstanding contribution." 

As the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards approach their tenth anniversary, Diageo is continually thinking about ways to evolve the Awards' relevance, impact and reach. Diageo hopes to build on the success of previous years, welcoming entries from all media platforms and from all over Africa and beyond. This year, the New Media category has been removed as a separate category to reflect the ubiquity of multimedia use in modern news-telling. Submissions of pieces using new media are now encouraged across the board: all media, including blogs and other online material are eligible in every category.

The awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, 28 June 2012 in central London. The closing date for entry is Friday, 23 March, 2012. Entries can be submitted online at: ww.diageoafricabusinessreportingawards.com. There is no entry fee.

ENDS

The Categories

1. Best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) feature
A feature or series of related features delivered on any media platform (print, broadcast, online) that examines any aspect of the ICT sector in a thoughtful and engaging way.

2. Best Finance feature
A feature or series of related features delivered on any media platform (print, broadcast, online) that examines any aspect of the finance/banking sector in a thoughtful and engaging way.

3. Best Infrastructure feature
A feature or series of related features delivered on any media platform (print, broadcast, online) that examines any aspect of infrastructure (physical or otherwise) in a thoughtful and engaging way. Features addressing issues of energy and transport can enter this category.

4. Best Agribusiness / Environment feature
A feature or series of related features delivered on any media platform (print, broadcast, online) that examines any aspect of agribusiness or environmental issues in a thoughtful and engaging way.

5. Best Tourism feature
A feature or series of related features delivered on any media platform (print, broadcast, online) that examines any aspect of the tourism industry in a thoughtful and engaging way.

6. Best Business News story
A news story or series of related stories delivered on any media platform (print, broadcast, online) that:
• Addresses a breaking news story from the time period of the awards
• Answers all basic questions in a clear and balanced fashion
• Demonstrates journalistic flair - a style that is engaging, thought-provoking and   
         accessible to its audience

7. Best Business feature
A feature or series of related features delivered on any media platform (print, broadcast, online) that:
• Examines business or the economy in an African context
• Provides useful and relevant background material for readers
• Provides the bigger picture and importance to Africa, as well as specific issues it might be addressing
• Brings the business and economy to life through examples and use of language, while answering the serious questions

8. Best Newcomer
A portfolio of three features (can be across different platforms) by a journalist who has been working as a reporter for less than five years. Proof of first date of accreditation will be required.

9. Media of the Year
A print publication, broadcast programme/channel, website or blog that is a comprehensive resource for its audience providing sustained coverage of Africa's business and economic news, issues and analysis (sector-specific or otherwise).

10. Journalist of the Year
A portfolio of three features (on any one or a mixture of media platforms) of no more than 5,000 words or 1 hour each. Submitted pieces can cover different topics, industries or people, or be part of a series of reportage.  Judges will be looking for features that reflect journalistic integrity and ethics and a true commitment to reporting that does not sensationalise stories or individuals.

For more information, visit www.diageoafricabusinessreportingawards.com or contact:

Alexandra Reza, Awards Secretary, areza@africapractice.com, +44 (0) 207 087 3788

Ciara O'Keeffe, Corporate Relations, Diageo Africa, Ciara.OKeeffe@diageo.com, +44 208 978 2876

About Diageo plc and Diageo Africa

Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

Diageo Africa is primarily a beer and spirits company whose brands are sold in more than 40 countries in Africa. Diageo has a long established presence in Africa with the first recorded exports of Guinness to Sierra Leone in 1827. Guinness is a truly pan-regional premium beer brand brewed in over 20 countries throughout the continent and is exported to many others. Diageo's businesses also produce and sell a range of local beer brands including Tusker, Senator Keg, Premium Serengeti Lager, Meta, Harp and Bell. Diageo is also the leading premium spirits company in Africa, and its great brands include Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky, Smirnoff vodka, Baileys and Gilbeys gin.

Diageo Africa employs over 5,000 people accounting for one in four of Diageo's workforce worldwide. In some key markets it has built its own in-market businesses with distribution access to trade channels, some of which have listings on local stock exchanges. In other markets, it will look to partner with a local business, through licensing brands or through third party distribution.  All of these companies have active community investment programmes, covering initiatives in water, farming and rural value chains, health, education and other areas of value to the communities in which they operate across Africa.

Diageo has recently published its report on its business approach in Africa. You can download it at www.diageo.com/en-row/ourbusiness/ourregions/Pages/Diageo-Africa

As part of its ongoing commitment to the communities in which it operates, enriching lives and contributing to the UN Millennium Development Goal 7, Diageo Africa created the Water of Life programme to support projects that provide access to clean drinking water and advance environmental conservation. The programme which was initiated in 2000 aims to benefit 5 million people by end of 2011, 8 million by 2015 and many thousands more through construction and maintenance of sites, improved sanitation and the empowerment of women. To date, Diageo has funded over 100 different water and sanitation projects, impacting over 4 million people in 15 different countries across the continent. Diageo works with international non-governmental organisations as well as local grass roots organisations to deliver water and sanitation through various types of technology including as borehole construction, water filters, rainwater harvesting and watershed management. Diageo selects projects that, among other criteria, are community driven, include capacity building and training for the community, address sanitation issues and empower women.