FREE EVENT STILL ALONGSIDE THE AIPS SPORT MEDIA AWARDS: AFTER KOREA, QATAR AND PARIS, THE OSCARS OF SPORTS JOURNALISM LAND IN MOROCCO

The ceremony was held in the setting of the Jawhara Palace, with the participation of finalists from all continents.

There is a place where stories come to life amid spices, poetry and fiery sunsets: Rabat, the cultural heart of Morocco. And it was here, among its timeless atmospheres, that the seventh edition of the AIPS Sport Media Awards, the international event celebrating excellence in global sports journalism, was held.

Signing the direction, executive production and live TV and streaming connection was, once again, the agency FREE EVENT, AIPS’ historical partner in this prestigious event, also awarded in 2024 with the BEA Award for innovation and excellence in the realization of this well-established international format.

After the memorable stops in Seoul, Doha and Paris Olympics, the Awards’ journey continued to North Africa, confirming the international vocation and high quality level of the event. FREE EVENT transformed the ceremony into an immersive and spectacular experience, enhancing the content and reinforcing the identity of AIPS in an iconic setting, live-streamed on the Moroccan and Qatari television networks (Alcass) and live-streamed on YouTube with the rest of the world.

The ceremony was held in the extraordinary setting of the Jawhara Palace, with the participation of finalists from all continents. It was opened by Gianni Merlo, president of AIPS, who stressed the incredible quality of the 2,065 entries received from as many as 136 countries. After four rigorous selection phases, the best 27 entries made it all the way to Rabat.

The evening was hosted by journalists Morad Moutaouakkil and Sarah Fayek, in a gala broadcast live on the Al-Riyadiyah Channel and Al-Kass Qatari Channel stations, with an exceptional audience of sports media professionals from all around the world.

During the evening, awards were presented to the winners of the eight main categories and of the categories dedicated to young reporters. A particularly poignant moment was the tribute to four icons of Moroccan sports journalism: Najib Salmi, former president of the Moroccan Sports Press Association; Mohamed Salhami, among the founders of the association in 1971; Mustafa Badri, photojournalist and editorial director of Al-Mountakhab; and the dear departed Belaid Bouimed, former president of AIPS Africa, who was remembered with a standing ovation from the audience in attendance.

A global narrative on a One Thousand and One Nights night.