News9 Plus’ Muhammad Wajihulla bagged two awards at the Red Ink Awards 2023 that’s organised by the Mumbai Press Club annually. The event honoured 30 journalists from across India, with Wajihulla being the only journalist at the event to receive two accolades for his work in two different categories.

Beating nearly 1,200 entries in the Crime and Investigation category and in the Lifestyle and Entertainment category, Wajihulla walked away with two trophies at the event in Mumbai on December 2, TV Network said in a press release.

Annually organized by the Mumbai Press Club since 1968, the awards celebrate journalists and journalism. The top prize in Crime and Investigation went to the impactful ‘Bringing Down the Towers’ a documentary depicting pensioners’ 11-year struggle against builders of Delhi NCR’s tallest residential towers.

Similarly honoured in the Lifestyle and Entertainment category, ‘Shooting Stars’ portrays two young individuals from a Chhattisgarh village who inspired nearly half their community to pursue content creation over conventional jobs.

Wajihulla remains the only journalist on the list of winners from the evening to bag more than one laurel. Apart from that, Aditya Raj Kauls and Lakshna Gulati’s story ‘Showtime in Kashmir’, Soumalya Santikari’s ‘The FIFA World Cup in Qatar’, and Shantasree Sarkar’s ‘Killing the Aravallis’ were among the top shortlisted stories and received Red Ink Special Mention Awards.

This year’s edition featured prominent personalities on the panel of jurors, including former Mumbai Police Commissioner D. Shivanandan, ‘The Anatomy of Loss’ author Arjun R. Gaind, Free Press Journal Executive Editor S. Balakrishnan, documentary filmmaker Brahmanand Singh, the Dean of St Paul’s Media Institute Carol Andrade and theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan, among others.

“News9 Plus is all about nuanced, fact-based, and thorough journalism, steering clear of sensationalism. Our focus is on narrating stories that showcase the remarkable resilience and courage of individuals making a significant impact. It’s a privilege to share these narratives, and I’m sincerely thankful for the acknowledgment,” stated Wajihulla.

He extended his gratitude to Editor Sandeep Unnithan and the TV9 Network management for their unwavering support.

The award-winning stories will be aired today on News9 Plus, India’s first news OTT platform.