Ati Metwaly, the editor of Ahram Online’s Arts and Culture section, has won this year’s CNN African Journalist Award in Culture.

The announcement was made on Saturday at the gala award ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Metwaly was shortlisted for the award last July. Ati was the only journalist from Egypt, and one of two journalists from North Africa, to make it to this year’s list of finalists.

Metwaly won the award for her story Music against all odds, published in Al Ahram Weekly, Ahram Online's sister publication, in November 2015.

The interview gave voice to visually-impaired girls and women from Egypt's unique Al Nour Wal Amal Orchestra.

She has been writing about music for Al-Ahram Weekly since 2009.

Metwaly joined Ahram Online’s Arts and Culture section as an editor in May 2010.

Prior to joining Al-Ahram, Metwaly was the editorial director and one of three founders of The Art Review (2005-2008), the first English-language bi-monthly publication about arts in Egypt.

Metwaly embarked on her journalistic vocation during her university years, writing for an array of different local and regional publications including Al-Ahram Hebdo, Community Times magazine, Daily News Egypt, Al Ebdaa quarterly magazine, The Art Review, UAE-based Contemporary Practices magazine, and the UK-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and the Majalla magazine.  

In 2010, Metwaly was awarded the Cultural Leadership International grant from the British Council in Egypt.

Ati was born into an artistic family whose members are engaged in different art mediums.

She graduated from Cairo University’s Faculty of Arts in 1997, with a degree in French Literature and Language.

Over 1,600 entries from 38 countries across the African continent were submitted to this year’s edition of the Award in English, French and Portuguese.

Other journalists from Egypt who won the CNN African Journalist Award in previous years include Passant Rabie (Sports Award, Egypt Today, 2013), Manar Attiya (Francophone General News Award, Al Ahram Hebdo, 2012), Lamia Hassan (Environmental Award, 2011), Ethar El-Katatney (Economics and Business Award, 2009) as well as finalist Shahinaz Samir (General News, 2015, Al Ahram Hebdo).

The award was established in 1995 and has since grown to include 14 categories with the objective of “reinforc(ing) the importance of the role of journalists in Africa's development and to reward, recognise and encourage journalistic talent across all media disciplines.”

The award was founded by Edward Boateng, then Regional Director of Turner Broadcasting (CNN's parent company), Gary Streiker, then CNN Nairobi Bureau Chief, late photographer Mohamed Amin, and late Esom Alintah, then Secretary General of the African Business Roundtable.

Read more of Metwaly’s articles here.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture