The 37th annual Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Media Awards concluded Wednesday night in Georgetown, Guyana, with Barbados emerging as the highest-awarded nation in the region’s most prestigious celebration of media excellence. Pulling together an impressive collection of 15 awards across multiple local media outlets, plus an additional eight Special Mentions, the island nation outpaced regional competitor Jamaica, which finished a close second with 14 total awards and four Special Mentions.
Leading the charge for Barbados was the country’s official Government Information Service (BGIS), which brought home seven individual awards and one Special Mention to anchor the national contingent. Nation Publishing Company followed closely, earning three awards and four Special Mentions, while first-time competitor Capital Media HD 99.3 matched that three-award haul in its debut appearance at the competition. Starcom Network added two more awards and one Special Mention to round out Barbados’ core tally, and two additional first-time participants — Plan A Productions and the National Transformation Initiative — each took home a Special Mention to cap the nation’s strong showing.
Jamaica’s near-victory was anchored almost entirely by the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, which claimed 13 of the country’s 14 total awards. Behind the top two competitors, Trinidad and Tobago secured six awards and an impressive nine Special Mentions, while Belize finished the top four with five awards and four Special Mentions.
This year’s edition of the CBU Media Awards drew hundreds of submissions from both media organizations and independent practitioners across the entire Caribbean region. Entries spanned every major segment of the industry, including radio, television, print, and digital journalism, alongside dedicated categories for advertising, thematic content creation, and student work. Student categories covered radio, television, print, digital content, and photography, creating space to recognize emerging talent alongside established industry leaders. Founded to celebrate outstanding achievement in Caribbean journalism and media production, the annual awards continue to be the benchmark for media excellence across the region.