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Maryam Moshiri to host Kent Press & Broadcast Awards

February, 2025

Maryam Moshiri, a chief presenter at BBC News, will host this year’s Kent Press & Broadcast Awards (KPBA) in Canterbury.

Launched in 2015 and designed to recognise and reward local journalism, the not-for-profit awards scheme is organised by Tunbridge Wells-based PR, marketing and public affairs agency Maxim.

This year’s award ceremony will take place at the Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, on Friday, 20 June, with Maryam leading the proceedings. Her show The World Today on the BBC’s news channel broadcasts to more than 100 million viewers around the world, and she is one of the few chief presenters at BBC News who also presents the national news bulletins on BBC One. 

A portrait photograph of Maryam Moshiri. She is looking directly at the camera. She has shoulder length dark brown hair, brown eyes and light brown skin. She looks serious while also ever so slightly smiling.

BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri

Described by Metro as ‘everyone’s favourite BBC News presenter’ and ‘the gift that keeps on giving’, Maryam has gone viral with several clips of her presenting. These include her impression of a seagull, imitating a supermoon when pictures failed to appear and an infamous countdown that was played at a New Year’s Eve party, with the resulting video receiving more than three million views.

Rachel Knight, Director at Maxim, said: “It’s very important to us that our hosts bring a sense of fun to the awards ceremony, as well as a touch of gravitas and their knowledge of the media industry. I have no doubt that Maryam will manage all three and I’m sure the audience will be in for a treat with her at the helm.”

Maryam began her BBC career as a business news presenter, covering all the major business stories from the economic impact of the 9/11attacks to the global financial crisis. She has interviewed some of the world’s top economists, investors and CEOs, including Jeff Bezos, Reed Hastings and Willie Walsh, and was the face of business on the BBC News channel and BBC World for 16 years. 

In 2019, Maryam became a main news presenter on BBC World and BBC News, where she covered events such as the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Maryam said: “I’m so excited to be a part of these awards. Strong local journalism is a fundamental part of the UK’s media landscape and serves audiences in an important way. I look forward to celebrating Kent’s brilliant local press with all of you in June.”

Anyone working in the Kent media can enter as many categories as they wish at no cost, with every finalist being invited to attend the awards ceremony, also free of charge.

Every entry is reviewed by an independent judging panel that comprises: Susie Boniface, a national journalist known as Fleet Street Fox; Elaine Bruce, a former BBC News journalist and editor; Sian Elvin, a national journalist and editor; Anthony France, crime correspondent for the Evening Standard; Rebecca Smith, former senior editor for Kent Regional News and Media; John Warnett, a retired radio journalist with more than 30 years’ experience; Leo Whitlock, a former local newspaper journalist for more than 20 years, much of which was spent at the KM Media Group; and Adrian Wills, a former newspaper and ITV broadcast journalist. 

Rachel added: “It’s hard to believe this is the 11th year we’ve run KPBA, but it’s important to say we couldn’t do it without the judges and the organisations that support the awards, all of which have sponsored KPBA at least once in the past. There are still a few categories available for sponsorship so if you’d like to know more about getting involved, please get in touch.”

The categories for 2025 are: 

The deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday, 4 April 2025 with the finalists announced in May. To find out more and download an entry form, visit www.kpbawards.co.uk. 

posted in: maxim/client news, media relations,

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