Veteran journalist and former editor of The Times, Victor Aquilina, last night received the Institute of Maltese Journalists' gold award as Allied Newspapers Ltd once again dominated the print category awards.
Mr Aquilina, 68, is widely credited with putting local news on the front page of The Times as well as revamping the newspaper he headed as editor between 1993 and 2003.
The gold award - normally given to an individual who has gone beyond the call of duty - was adjudicated by an independent panel chaired by President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami, who presented Mr Aquilina with the award during a ceremony at The Palace Hotel in Sliema last night.
Dr Fenech Adami said: "He deserves the award not only for his long career, but for the way he climbed up the ladder, kept and increased the readership of the newspaper and most important, for the way he re-directed the newspaper. Throughout, he remained objective and true to his principles."
Mr Aquilina, who was not aware he had been nominated for the award, said in an impromptu speech: "I normally associate this award with old age! However, I must observe that as journalism is developing nowadays with websites and the internet, the facts are not emerging clearly enough. While I understand that as journalism evolves there is more room for interpretation, sometimes it is not clear enough to me what is fact and what is comment. This makes it difficult for the reader to form an opinion."
Five journalists and photographers from The Times and The Sunday Times won awards: Ariadne Massa in news journalism; Chris Sant Fournier in photo journalism, Darrin Zammit Lupi in sports photography, Paul Zammit Cutajar in travel journalism and Alan Deidun in environmental journalism.
Mr Aquilina joined The Times in 1964 as a cub reporter and went on to assume the posts of assistant editor, features editor and deputy editor before he was appointed editor in 1993.
Those endorsing Mr Aquilina's nomination were unanimous in their praise of the former editor who was described as a perfectionist who single-handedly revolutionised the coverage of local news.
Known for his meticulous nature, Mr Aquilina - now a consultant editor for Allied Newspapers as well as a leader writer - is a stickler for accuracy and fairness.
President Emeritus Guido de Marco wrote: "He is a firm believer as a journalist that facts are sacred and comment is free... Mr Aquilina has given his best to Maltese journalism and his best has class" while former Prime Minister leader Alfred Sant praised his "serious, no nonsense approach".
The Sunday Times editor Steve Mallia said Mr Aquilina deserved the award because he made the biggest contribution anyone could make to any profession or indeed walk of life: bringing about change. "He led by example and left his indelible mark on the newspaper."
Former The Times sub-editor Andy Round wrote: "When I first arrived at The Times it seemed to belong to another century, but by the time I left in 1997 it was ready for the 21st."
The Times cartoonist Maurice Tanti Burlò added: "As (The Times founder) Mabel Strickland herself would have put it - his contribution to Allied Newspapers' high reputation can never be quantified."