The winners for the Vodacom Journalist the Year Awards, Eastern Province were announced this evening at the Protea Hotel Marine, Port Elizabeth.

A total of 832 entries were received in the 12 categories: CSI/Sustainability, Editor’s Choice, Financial/Economic, Online, Photography, Print Feature, Print News, Radio Feature, Radio News, Sport, Television Feature and Television News. There were 110 entries from the Eastern region.

Maya Makanjee, Chief Officer for Corporate Affairs at Vodacom Group said: 'We’d like to congratulate all the winners in the Eastern region for thought-provoking and excellent journalism. We look forward to meeting you at the national finals, where we will be celebrating excellence in journalism in South Africa.'

Each of the regional winners took home R5 000 and will travel to Johannesburg for the national finals in November.

The winners of the 2015 Vodacom Journalist of the Year regional Awards in the Eastern region are:

2015 CSI/Sustainability winners

Riaan Marais, Mkhululi Ndamase, and Brian Witbooi. The Herald, A Legacy in Ruins

2015 Financial/Economic winner

Siya Miti. Daily Dispatch, Public Entity Loan Scandal

2015 Online winner

No winner this year

2015 Photography winner

Phandulwazi Jikelo. Isolezwe lesiXhosa, Kunzima eMqanduli

2015 Print Feature winner

Estelle Ellis. Weekend Post, Hospitals of Hope

2015 Print News winner

Michael Kimberley. The Herald and Weekend Post. The Death of Jayde Panayiotou

2015 Radio Feature winner

Jayed-leigh Paulse. SABC Radio News, Xenophobic Attacks in the Region (Body of Work)

2015 Radio News winners

Siyabonga Sesant. EWN, Jayde Panayiotou – Teacher Who Loved Birds

And NkulelekoNyembezi. SABC Radio News, Initiation Monster

2015 Sport winner

Bongani Fuzile. Daily Dispatch, Exposing Wrong-Doing in Top Echelons of Rugby in Region (Body of Work)

2015 Television Feature winner

Nontsikelelo Nohiya, Buyani Xola Mthembu, and Nkosini Samuel Msibi. Cutting Edge SABC, Bendizobayi Ndoda

2015 Television News winner

Busisiwe Jemsana. SABC, RDP Houses

2015Editor’s Choice winner

Mkhululi Ndamase of The Herald/Weekend Post

Photo caption: Back Row: Carol Hall (Managing Exec Vodacom EC), Deidre Uren (accepting on behalf of the SABC winners), Estelle Ellis (Weekend Post), Jayed-Leigh Paulse (SABC), Ryland Fisher (Judge), Suraya Hamdulay (Vodacom)

Front Row: Riaan Marais (Herald), Bongani Fuzile (Daily Dispatch), Mkhululi Ndamase (Herald), Michael Kimberley on behalf of Gareth Wilson, Zandile Mbabela, Shaun Gillham, Riaan Marais (Herald).

Photo: Deryck Foster / BakonePix