Former CNS TV 6 Editor and Videographer Shane Hubbard, who won the inaugural Global Water Partnership–Caribbean (GWP-C) Media Award on Water, on Friday collected his $150,000 prize and award, while indicating his plans to continue making local documentaries.
Global Water Partnership (GWP) had given notice earlier in the year of Hubbard’s win. The organization said Hubbard’s television submission, under the theme ‘Water and Food Security’, surpassed all other entries in terms of organisation, creativity and production and in communicating the chosen topic.
He wrote directed and narrated the piece, which the organisation said “gives a compelling look into the critical importance of water in Guyana’s agricultural sector”.
Hubbard told Stabroek News that while he remains pleased to have done his country proud “my happiness and excitement have worn off.” Nonetheless he plans to use the win as a motivator to participate in other regional and international documentary competitions.
The 23-year-old, who now works as a video editor at Impressions Graphics Company, said he was inspired to enter the competition after attending a press conference at the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) that dealt with water conservation. Fearing his regional competitors, he said, he took to the internet for a crash course in making documentaries and when he submitted his entry, he did not believe he stood a chance at winning. “I was not a seasoned editor… I used a lot of Google and YouTube to help me because I had only been working for about three years in the field of filming and never dreamed I would have won but I said ‘give it your all and you never know’… I am glad I entered,” he said.
GWP had stated that the judging panel consisted of Caribbean experts who said that Hubbard’s work was “impactful, created multi-audience appeal and was well produced.”
On March 5 this year, GWP-C launched its first ‘Media Awards on Water’ in an effort to inspire Caribbean journalists to report more on critical water issues affecting their region. Print, television, radio and multi-media journalists were encouraged to submit work, under themes such as Water and Food Security; Water Conservation, Water and Poverty; Water and Health and water for all among other related topics.
The competition ended on April 10, with Hubbard being declared as the successful media worker.
Two participants were also selected for Honourable Mention by the judges: Veoma Ali and Latoya Minott-Spence, from One Caribbean Media Limited in Barbados and Television Jamaica, respectively.
