Veteran journalist Kofi Badu, who currently serves as Chief of Staff at the Manhyia Palace and Aide-de-Camp to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has been nominated for an honorary award at the second edition of the Ashanti GJA Excellence Awards scheduled to take place in Kumasi.
The ceremony, which celebrates outstanding contributions to journalism in the region, will bestow a special honour upon the former Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, recognising his distinguished career and enduring impact on Ghana's media landscape. His name will henceforth adorn a dedicated award category, the Kofi Badu Veteran Award, which will be opened to other seasoned journalists in subsequent editions of the event.
This year's awards ceremony will be themed: "Celebrating Excellence, Championing Credibility: Journalism in the Age of AI", reflecting the industry's ongoing transformation and the challenges posed by emerging technologies.
A six-member planning committee has been constituted to oversee the execution of the awards. The committee is chaired by Isaac Justice Bediako of EIB Network, with Williams Evans Nkum of Media General serving as Secretary. Other members include Kwame Frimpong, Public Relations Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, journalist Erastus Asare Donkor of the Multimedia Group, and Ama Nyarko of Hello FM.
A separate vetting committee has also been established to receive nominations, verify entries, and adjudge winners across the various categories. The committee comprises Sebastian Freku, Ashanti Regional Editor of the Chronicle Newspaper, John Yeboah of GBC, and Akua Asiedua of Oyerepa TV. The remaining members are Dr Fortune Tella of the Department of Communications at KNUST and Dr Atta Poku, a lecturer at the Christian Service University.
Launch of awards
Speaking at the official launch of the awards in Kumasi on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, Kofi Adu Domfeh, announced that this year's awards would be open to all journalists working in the region, regardless of their GJA membership status.
He explained that the decision was necessitated by a reform process at the national level which unfortunately hindered the registration of more journalists as expected. Mr Domfeh apologised to potential members whose concerns were yet to be addressed and assured them that their issues would be duly resolved.
Regional Press Centre Project
On the matter of establishing a Regional Press Centre in Kumasi, the Regional Chairman indicated that the project was progressing steadily. He disclosed that the Asantehene had graciously released a parcel of land at Nhyiaso for the construction of the facility.
The Regional Lands Commission, he said, was currently assisting the association in securing the requisite documentation to commence the project. Mr Domfeh also revealed that Fidelity Bank and Access Bank had already advanced financial support towards the realisation of the project, while extending an appeal to other benevolent individuals and organisations to contribute towards making the dream a reality.
Award categories
In all, 15 awards will be presented across a wide range of categories designed to recognise excellence in various facets of journalism. The categories include Sports, Education, Investigative Journalism, Photojournalism, Arts and Entertainment, Business and Economy, and Environment, Science and Climate.
Other categories are Health, Crime and Court, Agriculture, Community Impact Journalism, Best Feature, Best Columnist, and Best Documentary.
Entries for consideration must cover works that were published or broadcast between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
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