In a remarkable debut performance on the regional media stage, St Lucia Times has left an indelible mark at the 37th Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Media Awards, walking away with two major awards and one special distinction in its first ever entry into the prestigious competition.
The annual event, which celebrates outstanding journalism across print, digital, and broadcast platforms across the Caribbean, held its award ceremony live Wednesday from the Atlantic Suites at Georgetown, Guyana’s Hyatt Regency, where top creative and journalistic work from across the region was formally recognized.
For St Lucia Times, photographer McAllister Hunt led the charge, taking home both the Best Sports Photograph and Best News Photograph honors. Meanwhile, the outlet’s original production *Behind the Culture: Behind the Stage* earned a Special Mention in the competitive Caribbean Arts & Culture award category.
Organizers of the competition specifically highlighted St Lucia Times as one of the most impressive first-time entrants in this year’s iteration of the awards. In an official statement, the CBU noted that a large group of debut competitors delivered standout work that wowed judges this cycle, and counted St Lucia Times among the new entrants that made the most significant impact. Notably, the outlet was also the only media organization based in St. Lucia to secure any awards at this year’s event.
Hermina Elcock, CEO and Publisher of St Lucia Times, accepted the honors on the outlet’s behalf, and emphasized that the recognition held extra weight coming in the organization’s first competition appearance. “To enter a competition of this caliber for the first time and depart with two awards and a special mention is an extraordinary accomplishment for our entire team,” Elcock shared in her remarks. “This honor validates the quality, creativity, and dedication that our team pours into every piece of work we produce day in and day out. I am incredibly proud of McAllister Hunt, whose exceptional photography earned both awards, and every team member that contributed to *Behind the Culture*. This achievement is proof of what our collective can deliver, and we are eager to build on this momentum going forward.”
This year’s awards program recognized a total of 92 winners across 56 distinct categories, spanning all major media formats including print, digital, radio, and television. The competition drew hundreds of entries from 13 different countries and territories across the English-, French-, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean, making it one of the most diverse regional media competitions in the Caribbean calendar.