Astro Audio’s news team has solidified its position as a powerhouse in broadcasting by clinching the runners-up spot at the prestigious MPI-PETRONAS Malaysian Journalism Awards. 

The glamorous awards ceremony, held at the Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, was graced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Senior Journalist Nicholas John won the Silver Medal in the highly competitive Best Radio Reporting category for his outstanding podcast, ‘The Urban Renewal Act: The Debate Over Redeveloping Malaysia’. 

You can listen to the podcast here: https://syok.my/en/podcast/show/9677-english-news/episode/136293

This marks a significant milestone for him, as he successfully retains the silver medal he won at the previous year's awards. Along with the runner-up title, Nicholas takes home a certificate and a RM3,000 cash prize.

Expressing his gratitude, he said, “It's an honour to be recognised and awarded once again. Thanks to my Astro Audio News teammates and management for their support and guidance and for giving me that extra push to keep doing this every year. Second place is great—but hopefully I can win first place next year.”

Moganadas Muniandy, News & Traffic Operation Manager, highlighted the significance of the achievement for the newsroom: “I’m very proud because we’ve done this for the second year in a row. Even though we were vying for first place this year, it's still a good achievement for the newsroom. Nicholas has positioned himself as one of the top journalists with this back-to-back triumph and he’s just getting better each year. We will come back next year on a mission to clinch first place.”

Adding to the celebration, Priya Dharshini Prabakaran, Director of Astro Audio, praised the collective talent of the department: “Finishing in the top three on successive years really shows the talent of our Astro Audio News team. I’m hoping for their continued success and to keep making Astro Audio as a whole proud.”

The night also brought notable recognition for Thivyah Vegan John, who narrowly missed a top three spot but made it to the finals with her impactful vernacular report titled “Eating Ourselves Sick: The NCD Crisis Among Malaysian Indians”. Ranking in the top 5 alongside major broadcasters like Bernama Radio and RTM Perak represents a huge recognition for her work and underscores the diversity and depth of Astro Audio's journalism.

With consecutive top finishes under its belt, Astro Audio's news team is already looking ahead, driven by a mission to capture the top prize at next year's awards.