‘Not my North Star’, says 2026 top journalist
Published:Monday | March 9, 2026 | 12:09 AM
Senior Gleaner journalist Kimone Francis says being named the 2025 Journalist of the Year is a prestigious honour, but is not her “North Star”.
“Knowing that a story helped a family find justice or brought resources to a neglected community provides a level of fulfilment that a title cannot replicate,” Francis said yesterday.
Her award is among 20 the RJRGLEANER Communications Group took home during the Press Association of Jamaica’s (PAJ) annual national awards ceremony held in St Andrew on Saturday.
Television Jamaica won 11 and The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited won nine.
Amoy Harriott, who was previously with Television Jamaica, was named 2025 Young Journalist of the Year.
Francis said she accepts the recognition knowing that when journalism is practised with integrity, “its greatest achievement is the positive legacy it leaves behind”.
She said being named Journalist of the Year is a testament to a lifelong passion for storytelling and a relentless drive to see media act as a catalyst for change.
“I have always viewed my work as a civic duty, fuelled by the hope that every story and every investigation might nudge the needle towards more equitable and positive policy decisions for Jamaica,” she said.
Francis said her path to this point “has been anything but easy” and lauded her colleagues for their contribution to her development.
“I keep going with God,” she said.
The Gleaner’s Jovan Johnson was one of the big winners. He copped five individual awards, including the President’s Award for Investigative Journalism, which he shared with Livern Barrett, also of The Gleaner.
Corey Robinson, a senior staff reporter at The Gleaner, Romardo Lyons, a reporter at Television Jamaica, and Giovanni Dennis, who was previously at Television Jamaica, but is now managing editor at CVM TV, also won two awards each.
Full list of National Journalism Awards winners 2025
Journalist of the Year
Kimone Francis, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited
Young Journalist of the Year
Amoy Harriott, Television Jamaica (now at CVM-TV)
President’s Award for Investigative Journalism
Livern Barrett and Jovan Johnson, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited
Hector Bernard/Theodore Sealy Award for News Journalism
Racquel Porter and Uton West, Television Jamaica
Hector Bernard/Theodore Sealy Award for News Journalism (Print)
Jovan Johnson, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited
Carl Wint Award for Best Feature (Print)
Jovan Johnson, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited
Carl Wint Award for Best Feature (Electronic)
Amoy Harriott, Hopeton Henry, Richard Brown, Ivan Shaw and Omar Samuels, Television Jamaica
Best Television Feature/Documentary
Giovanni Dennis, Dionne Jackson Miller, Orville Powell, Omar Samuels, Kemon White and Richard Prince, Television Jamaica
Best Radio Feature/Documentary
Shanice Gibbs, IRIE FM
Aston Rhoden Award for News Photography
Naphtali Junior, Jamaica Observer
Junior Dowie Award for Sports Photography
Matthew McKoy, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited
Errol Harvey Award for Human Interest Photography
Antoine Lodge, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited
Award for Excellence in Reporting on Technology
Romardo Lyons, Ivan Shaw and Uton West, Television Jamaica
Award for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment
Giovanni Dennis, Dionne Jackson Miller, Omar Samuels, Paul Davis and Richard Brown, Television Jamaica
Award for Excellence in Reporting on Health and Wellness
Amoy Harriott, Giovanni Dennis, Richard Brown, Jeovanni Heslop, Avon Edwards, Glenford Campbell and Omar Samuels, Television Jamaica
UNICEF Media Awards for Excellence in Reporting on Children’s Rights
Jovan Johnson and Corey Robinson, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited
UNICEF Media Awards for Excellence in Reporting on Children’s Rights
Corey Robinson, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited
Ken Dawson Award for Videography
Kirk Wright and Nakinskie Robinson, Television Jamaica
Award for Excellence in Reporting on Agriculture
Romardo Lyons, Jeovanni Heslop, Ivan Shaw, Aires Fagan, Stefan Murray, Marissa Jones, and the All Angles Team, Television Jamaica
Hugh Crosskill/Raymond Sharpe Award for Sports Journalism (Print)
Ruddy Allen, J amaica Observer
Hugh Crosskill/Raymond Sharpe Award for Sports Journalism (Electronic)
Kayon Raynor, Television Jamaica
Morris Cargill Award for Opinion Journalism
Dionne Jackson Miller, Justin Miller and Khaleel Huie, Time for Tea: Dionne Jackson Miller’s YouTube Channel
Best Breaking News Coverage
Kimberley Peddie and Christopher Plummer, Television Jamaica
Carlon Alexander Award for Business and Finance Journalism
Jovan Johnson, The Gleaner Company [Media] Limited