2026 AMIC Asia Communication Award

AWARD BRIEF 

The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, Inc.  (AMIC) is an international non-government organization (NGO) committed to communication media development in the Asia-Pacific region.  

Established in 1971 as a non-profit NGO and a registered charity in Singapore, AMIC promotes an ethical and socially responsible communication media sector committed to the tenets of freedom and democracy in a socio‐culturally diverse region.  

AMIC envisions itself to be the premier Asia-centered policy provider, resource platform, and training institution, for communication media education, research, and professional development.  

It seeks to provide a platform for and facilitate the development, sharing, and exchange of learning resources on communication media within and outside Asia.  

AMIC’s mission is to nurture and promote communication media research, capacity building, knowledge management, and dialogue among academics, industry, government, and civil society.  

AMIC seeks the development and enrichment of communication theories, models, strategies, and practices reflecting distinct Asian perspectives, building on the contributions of Western models and theories.  

AMIC established the AMIC Asia Communication Award in 2006 to recognize outstanding achievements in various media and communication fields and categories. These achievements include contributions to research, education, institution development, and journalism excellence.  

Since its inception, the award has been conferred to 26 communication scholars, educators, and practitioners whose contributions have focused on a single country within Asia-or the whole of Asia. While the nominees need not be from Asia, preferences were and will be accorded to regional actors.  

AMIC’s extensive Asian presence spans across six distinct regions, including East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, North Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia. 

 Self-nomination is allowed. Posthumous nominations will not be accepted.

DESIRED NOMINEES

Desired nominees for the AMIC Asia Communication Award should have exhibited exemplary contributions and have shown consistent dedication to any of the following areas:

  • Journalism Education and Training
  • Journalism Practice
  • Journalism Studies/Research
  • Communication Education and Training
  • Communication Media Scholarship/Research
  • Communication for Development/Development Communication Practice
  • Public/Government Information
  • Integrated Marketing Communication (including PR and Advertising)
  • Digital Communication/Media (including Internet, Social Media and Artificial Intelligence)
  • Others

 The following are among the qualities of the AMIC Asia Communication Awardee:

  • Commitment to the principles of free and independent communication media/journalism;
  • Contribution to Asian communication media/journalism theory and model building and development;
  • Excellence in the practice of Asian communication media/journalism profession/discipline;
  • Significant contributions to Asian communication media/journalism profession/discipline through research, publications, and institution-building;
  • Extensive service and passion for Asian communication education and training;
  • Introduction of innovative or pioneering Asian communication media/journalism programs and projects

NOMINATION PROCESS

A two-track approach will be implemented in the nomination process for the Award.

Track 1, AMIC Asia Communication Award Executive Nominating Committee

  • The Committee will be created to help identify and reach a diverse pool of qualified nominees, ensuring the selection of the most outstanding candidate. The members of the will be appointed by the AMIC Board, and will be composed of esteemed Asian communication scholars and practitioners with extensive networks. The members of the Committee will be drawn from the following groups: (1) Association of global (regional) communication professionals (educators, researchers, practitioners); (2) AMIC Lifetime Members; (3) Previous AMIC Asia Communication Award winners; (4) Heads of communication/journalism schools; and (5) Former AMIC officials, including members of the Board of Directors, Board of Management, and Secretaries-General.

Track 2, Open Nomination

  • Individuals or organizations may nominate candidates for the Award with the consent of the nominee.

All nomination forms received through both tracks will be included in Phase One of the screening process.

Nominators must submit a duly filled-out nomination form and supporting documents. The nominee is expected to assist the nominator in completing the nomination form.

The nomination form may be downloaded here.

Nomination forms, including supporting documents, must be uploaded in the Google Drive folder created by AMIC via this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vCR_5v4tw6sdi88iBsze1g8d7gi6wKBj?usp=drive_link

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

Professional Qualifications                                 20 pts.

Contributions to the field and discipline         40 pts.

Impact of Work                                                     20 pts.

Citations & Significance of Scholarship           20 pts.

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process shall consist of three phases, namely:

  • Phase Onewill be undertaken by a screening committee which will review compliance of entries with the Award requirements and the adequacy of completed nomination forms and supporting documents.
  • Phase Twowill determine the short-listed nominees (at least three) through a Preliminary Board of Judges composed of representatives from the AMIC Board of Management, AMIC Country Representatives, and international organizations.
  • Phase Threewill be the final selection of the winner by a composite Final Board of Judges. The final Board of Judges shall consist of past AMIC Asia Communication Awardees, representatives from the AMIC Board of Directors and international organizations, and well-known development specialists and communication experts from different countries of Asia.

TIMELINE

The deadline for submission of nomination forms is on May 15, 2026. The schedule of activities is as follows:

Activity Schedule Remarks
Evaluation of nomination forms and supporting documents 01 to 30 June 2026 Screening Committee
Selection of short list of nominees 01 to 31 July 2026 Preliminary Board of Judges

Selection of awardees for 2026

 01 to 31 August 2026 Final Board of Judges
Awarding proper November 2026 (tentative) 32nd   AMIC Annual Conference Committee

PAST AWARDEES

  • John Lent (USA), 2006
  • Eddie C. Y. Kuo (Singapore), 2007
  • Nora Quebral (Philippines) and Dr. Florangel Rosario- Braid (Philippines), 2008
  • Binod Agrawal (India) and Dr. K. E. Eapen (India), 2009
  • Hidetoshi Kato (Japan), 2010
  • Georgette Wang and Dr. Crispin Maslog (Philippines), 2011
  • Tan Sri Dato’ L. Krishnan (Malaysia), 2012
  • Alwi Dahlan (Indonesia) and Mr. Jakob Oetama (Indonesia), 2013
  • Juan L. Mercado (Philippines), 2014
  • Alan Hancock (United Kingdom) and Dr. David Robie (New Zealand), 2015
  • Dhavalasri Shelton Gunaratne  (Sri Lanka), 2016 (for Research and Education)
  • Wijayananda Jayaweera (Sri Lanka), 2017
  • Franz Joseph Eilers (Germany) for Transformative Leadership, and Mr. Charlie Agatep (Philippines), 2018 (for Transformative Leadership)
  • Leela Rao (India), 2019 (for Teaching Hero Award)
  • Dasho Kinley Dorji (Bhutan), 2020 (for Transformative Leadership)
  • Wimal Dissanayake (Sri Lanka/USA) 2021 (for Disruptive Inquiry -Communication Research)
  • Ronny Adhikarya (Indonesia) 2022
  • Arvind Singhal (USA/India), 2023
  • Cherian George (Singapore), 2024
  • Karlyga Myssayeva (Kazakhstan), 2025