KBC Student Media Awards to honour ‘Outstanding Achievement’

The national Student Media Awards (Smedias) will offer a €1,000 prize to a student who achieves excellence in third-level media this year.The prize, sponsored by KBC Bank, is open to individuals or groups who have a passion for their chosen media and have made a special contribution to it during their time on campus.Nominations close on April 9^th ahead of the awards ceremony, which will take place in the Aviva Stadium on Thursday, April 16^th.National journalists and broadcasters judge the awards each year, which receive around 1,000 entries from top media students in Ireland. This year’s judges include Fionnan Sheehan – editor of the Irish Independent, Tim Vaughan - editor of the Irish Examiner, Cathy Fox – executive producer of The Late Late Show, Lenny Abrahamson – multi-award winning director, and Cathal Gaffney - founder of Brown Bag animation and multi-Academy Award nominee.“So many students give selflessly in order to make college life better for their fellow students,” said Colman Byrne, Managing Director at Student Marketing Network. “The Outstanding Achievement Award recognises those who have contributed so much to student media and rewards their passion and hard work.”Aidan Power, Head of Brand and Marketing at KBC, added that, “The Smedia awards recognise the brightest and best in the business and provide a platform for the next generation of student journalists to shine from. We look forward to celebrating with this year’s applicants and winners at what promises to be a fantastic event for all involved.”