Äripäev a Big Winner in Estonian Journalist Awards 2010

Estonian Press Photo of the Year by Erik Prozes

Estonian business daily Äripäev was a big winner in last week's Estonian Journalist Awards 2010, given out by the Estonian Newspaper Association, with reporters, editors and photographers all winning prizes. "We won more than anyone," says Editor-in-Chief Meelis Mandel.

Estonian Journalist of the Year was investigative reporter Koit Brinkmann. Brinkmann won the award, worth EUR 4,500, for his stories about hidden financing of Estonian political parties, buying of laws in the renewable energy field, the secret villa in Crete of one of Estonia's most powerful members of parliament and corruption in Estonia's second biggest city, Narva.

Winner of the Estonian Best News award was reporter Kadri Jakobson, who wrote how the leader of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund (Töötukassa) awarded questionable procurement contracts for a friend's company.

The winner of the Estonian Best Opinion award was editor Aivar Hundimägi, who wrote about why he doesn't bow down to local Estonian businessmen.

Winner of the of the Estonian Press Photo of the Year was a photo by Erik Prozes of Social Minister Hanno Pevkur at the opening of the Pärnu orphanage, explaining to contractors why they weren't paid for their work on the orphanage - the prizewinning photo is above. Prozes also won the Best News Photo award.

Winner of the Estonian Feature Photo award was photographer Andres Haabu, winning over fellow Äripäev nominees Raul Mee and Andras Haabu.

Äripäev journalists were also finalists in two other important awards. For the Bonnier Award (you can read about the winner here), two of the three finalists were from Äripäev, including Hannes Sarv and Koit Brinkmann for their story on the member of parliament's secret Cretan villa, as well as last year's Bonnier Award winner Piret Reiljan for her story on how Chechen mafia cheated Estonian investors in Bulgarian real estate (read about her previous award here). For the Young Journalist Awards, one of the three nominees was Äripäev staff reporter Katariina Krjutshkova.

"I'm proud of my people," says Mandel. "Despite quite harsh times for the media in terms of the economic situation and salary cuts, our editorial staff shows real team spirit when it comes to serving our readers. Awards cannot be won without team support, so we are all happy about these testimonials. I'm as happy as other papers are green with envy!"