The 37th annual Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Media Awards wrapped up in Georgetown, Guyana on Wednesday, August 20, 2026, with an outstanding performance from Belize’s Greater Belize Media (GBM), which secured five top awards and four special mentions across multiple categories of regional media competition. Drawing entries from media professionals across 13 Caribbean countries and territories, this year’s ceremony recognized outstanding work across 56 distinct categories spanning traditional reporting, digital innovation, production, creative content, and specialized rights-focused coverage.
Of the nine total honors earned by Belize-based outlets at this year’s event, GBM claimed eight, with the only remaining recognition going to a special mention for The National Channel. GBM’s most celebrated wins centered on its impactful coverage of children’s rights and youth issues in Belize, a beat that has emerged as a key priority for the outlet. Reporters Britney Gordon and videographer George Tillett took home two awards: first, the Child Rights Champion prize for Investigative Reporting for their story *Special Ed Students Locked Out of School Two Days Straight*, and second, the top honor in the Children Who Inspire Story category for their piece on Belize’s Children’s Parliament debate over adolescent health access.
For Gordon, the regional recognition was a powerful validation of the long hours and collaborative work that goes into accountability reporting. “I feel very proud and very honoured. It’s a very big accomplishment, not just to me, but to the entire team, that we were able to be recognised for our reporting on that,” Gordon shared. “It’s certainly validating to the hard work, late nights sometimes, taking work home, early mornings. So just to see that that is recognised regionally is very rewarding.”
Paul Lopez, another contributor to the award-winning special education investigative story, emphasized that the real impact of the outlet’s work comes from its connection to local communities. “At the end of the day, we are telling Belizean stories, and we are Belizeans telling those stories or telling our own stories,” Lopez noted. “It takes teamwork, and it’s a collaborative effort. So while we may be recognised individually on the awards, there are other handful of names of people that really make the dream work at GBM.”
One of GBM’s wins also signals a shifting landscape for modern newsrooms, as the outlet’s Benita Keme-Palacio took home the prize for Best Social Media Content Creator, a category that reflects the growing importance of digital engagement in journalism. Keme-Palacio explained that the role of a social media content creator in news is far from traditional, and focuses on making reporting accessible to audiences on the platforms they use daily. “Being a content creator in a newsroom isn’t exactly the traditional role that we think about when we hear ‘journalist’ or ‘reporter’,” she said. “It is a role that works hand in hand with our reporters. It’s this whole other side of a newsroom that asks: How do we get this information into people’s hands? How do we make it understandable, engaging and accessible through the platforms they’re actually using?”
She added that the award recognizes not just individual work, but the broader evolution of digital journalism across the region. “So, this award is not just a personal achievement for me, but also an acknowledgement of the digital team and the work we’re doing to make sure News 5 continues to meet people where they are. And I’m incredibly proud to be part of that.”
The night also brought individual recognition for Rick Romero, who won Best Videographer, and additional honors for his creative comedy sketch *Grinch Steals Christmas at GBM*, created alongside colleagues Sheena Smith and Nisa Sanchez. For Smith, the recognition was particularly meaningful, coming in her first year ever submitting work for regional award consideration. She took home one award for the Grinch sketch and two additional special mentions.
“It’s truly humbling receiving a recognition like this that is Caribbean, a regional recognition,” Smith said. “I think it speaks to the work that we do here at GBM. I think we all have a passion for what we do at some level, and I think that just having some type of recognition, even if it’s not an award, but it’s still a special mention.”