FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2026
Berlin
Mobile Journalism Awards Names First-Ever Best News Creator Winner
The Mobile Journalism Awards has named CNN producer Kareem El Damanhoury the first-ever winner of Best News Creator Story, marking a milestone for the Mobile Journalism Awards as Season 7 winners were announced at the NAB Show.
El Damanhoury received the Best News Creator honor in person from peers at the Broadcast Education Association, while winners from Sweden and Bangladesh were also recognized for standout mobile-first storytelling.
Run by the Visual Editors Non-Profit, the Mobile Journalism Awards draws entries from mobile journalists in more than 40 countries and celebrates ethical, original, and honest storytelling. Judges look for work that combines strong reporting, compelling visuals, and a clear public purpose.
“As always, the competition draws entries from around the globe, and this year’s winners reflect the diversity and strength of work being done by field reporters carrying small cameras to tell big stories,” said Robb Montgomery, Chair of the Mobile Journalism Awards. “Season 7 once again shows how mobile journalism continues to expand what’s possible in the field, giving reporters powerful tools to capture timely, compelling, and human stories wherever they happen.”
The Season 7 results continue a strong international tradition that has featured respected mobile storytellers such as Leonor Suárez, Rob Layton, Philip Bromwell, and Calle Elfström across the awards archive.
Season 7 winners
Best Mobile Journalism Video
Mobile Journalism – Rescue helicopter
Directed by Tomas Blideman
Sweden
This news feature about the Swedish Maritime Administration’s rescue helicopter was produced for Swedish National Television (SVT) and filmed entirely using GoPro cameras and a mobile phone. The project was shot and edited by Blideman, with Lisa Åberg serving as producer.
Bilderman says in accepting the award, “I am deeply honored and proud to have been selected as the winner of the Mobile Journalism Awards.
It is a privilege to be recognized in a category that is sometimes overlooked, those of us who work as solo mobile journalists, taking on the roles of reporter, camera operator, and editor all at once.
I would like to sincerely thank the jury for selecting my work for this award.”
Best News Creator Story
From Denver to Mecca: A CNN producer’s personal pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest site
By Kareem El Damanhoury
United States
This personal and reported story follows CNN producer Kareem El Damanhoury’s pilgrimage to Mecca as millions of Muslims around the world mark the end of Hajj and celebrate Eid. The film offers an intimate creator-led perspective grounded in lived experience and journalistic storytelling.
Best Documentary Film
Tiger Goni – Sundarbans Saga
Directed by Max Schleser and Abdul Kabil Khan
Bangladesh
Tiger Goni tells the extraordinary story of Abdul Gani, known in the Sundarbans as “Tiger Goni,” a local hero who has risked his life to rescue villagers from tiger attacks in the Ganges Delta. The documentary explores courage, compassion, and coexistence in a fragile landscape shaped by climate change, rising tides, and human-wildlife tension.
The director’s accepted the awards with the followng statements:
Kabil Khan:
“Winning the Best Documentary Film award for Tiger Goni – Sundarbans Saga is an immense honor, and as a co-director of this film, I am deeply moved by this recognition.
This award belongs to Abdul Gani and the unsung local heroes of the coastal lines in Sundarbans. We dedicate this tribute to those who risk their lives with unconditional compassion to rescue villagers from tiger attacks and protect their communities. Our film is a window into a fragile landscape shaped by climate change, rising tides, and the delicate tension of human-tiger-conflict coexistence. This recognition is testament of a crucial global spotlight on the resilience of the people of Bangladesh and the Ganges Delta.“
Schleser:
“This documentary demonstrates what mobile storytelling and smartphone filmmaking do best: creative collaboration and co-creating stories with local communities. Filming in a remote village in the Sundarbans was challenging, requiring travel by bus, taxi, motorbike, and a long walk along muddy roads. Editing the film presented its own challenges, as the local Bengali dialect is spoken primarily within the community. Working closely with Tiger Goni, we were able to bring his story to audiences around the world. Tiger Goni is a story of courage, resilience, and community spirit. It reminds us that mobile storytelling can bring voices from the periphery to the screen and reveal places and share stories that might otherwise remain unseen. Receiving this MoJo Award is a great honour, and we thank the festival for recognising community-centred mobile storytelling.“
About the awards
The Mobile Journalism Awards is an annual global competition run by the Visual Editors Non-Profit to advance, identify, and celebrate the best mobile journalism film reporting each year. The competition attracts film story entries from mobile journalists reporting in more than 40 countries.
Ethical, original, and honest storytelling is central to the judging. The awards recognize work that makes a real difference for mobile storytellers and the communities they serve.
Screens and screenings
Finalist films are screened at a special event at the NAB Show in Las Vegas each April in partnership with the Broadcast Education Association. Winning entries have also been screened at the National Press Club, the International Journalism Festival in Italy, the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Sweden, and at mobile journalism events in Singapore, Spain, Austria, and Jamaica.
Prizes and support
Blackmagic Design is donating DaVinci Resolve Speed Editors, including DaVinci Resolve Studio, to the prize pool for the #MojoAwards competition.
Proceeds from the event and the #MojoWorkshop support Visual Editors, NFP, a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2005 to support visual journalism education. The organization operates on a bare-bones budget, with officers and staff donating their time and expertise.
Small cameras, global impact
The best films from all seasons of the Mobile Journalism Awards are curated in a permanent collection at the Smart Film School, allowing scholars and practitioners to review the collective body of documentary film work and each year’s winning entries.
Previous winners are available in the archive here: https://www.visualeditors.com/mojoawards-winners/.
Journalists submit entries on FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/MobileJournalismAwards.
Media contact
Robb Montgomery
Chair, Mobile Journalism Awards
http://mobilejournalismawards.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbmontgomery/
Contact: https://www.visualeditors.com/contact/