Ushma Mistry was named 2025 Regional Journalist of the Year at the Asian Media Awards.
Journalists and filmmakers joined content creators and actors at the 13th Asian Media Awards in Manchester.
The awards celebrate achievements in a range of categories in journalism, investigations, TV, radio, stage, online and creative media.
The ceremony is supported by the University of Salford and took place at The Manchester Deansgate Hotel on Friday (October 31). It follows a shortlist announcement which was held at BBC Broadcasting House in London.
Ushma was presented the award by community support worker Tinta Ali.
Ushma said: “Like most years, the regional journalist category was exceptionally strong this year and I’m grateful to the judges for giving up their time to listen, watch and read all the nominations.
“Local news is the heartbeat of many of the communities it serves and I am really proud to be entrusted to tell the stories which matter to them, so I was very honoured and humbled to have won.”
Ushma works in Coventry and Warwickshire, read news bulletins, produce the daily breakfast and drivetime shows, create social media content and as the news editor.
She produced an exclusive multi-platform story on Olympic athlete Joel Fearon who revealed how his sister’s death left him scared and with crippling anxiety for the first time in his life.
Ushma produced engaging and informative pieces on the last summer’s riots, how an Afghan refugee who spoke little English had make the UK his home, on how a community had rallied round to support a family who had lost everything in a house fire and the case of ‘bad odour’ which had been plaguing a community for years.
In an exclusive report she exposed the cruel practice employed at an abattoir following footage from a Vegan activist.
Ushma has also planned the station’s BBC Make a Difference awards by telling the stories of the unsung heroes in our community.
