Al Jazeera Digital won two awards at the 46th Gracie Awards in recognition of its excellence in production for women, production for women, and works related to women.

The digital division of Al Jazeera Media Network won two Gracie Award Recognize the outstanding work done by women, for women and about women.

The announcement on June 9th marked the first time that Al Jazeera’s digital content has won this prestigious competition, a victory that Al Jazeera English had previously won.

Sponsored by the Women’s Federation of Media Foundation (AWMF), the organizers of the 46th awards ceremony cited the exemplary work of women “leading the media progress and opening the way for the future” during the year.

The best podcast host award goes to Malika Bilal, host of The Take. The Take is an award-winning interview-driven news podcast based on global coverage by Al Jazeera English reporters and correspondents.

Bilal joined The Take in 2020. After eight years as the co-host of Al Jazeera’s The Stream, the show is a 2013 Gracie Award-winning TV news talk show focused on online community participation. The Take is headquartered in Washington, DC, with Stacey Samuel as the executive producer.

The Best Online Producer Award went to Still Here, the principal of AJ Contrast Zahra Rasool, an award-winning immersive experience that uses virtual and augmented reality to explore the impact of imprisonment and gentrification on black women in the United States .

Still Here premiered as an installation at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, documenting the severe challenges faced by imprisoned women as they struggle to rebuild their lives after years of imprisonment.

“I’m proud of the work the team was able to complete in such a short period of time,” said Carlos van Meek, director of digital innovation and programming. “As a traditional broadcaster, we are usually not known for podcasts or immersive documentaries. Take and AJ Contrast have been changing all this.”

“As we increase our audience on all digital platforms, they are quickly becoming the cornerstone of our next steps. Awards like this confirm that we are moving in the right direction.”

The Gracie Awards Gala will be held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles on September 27th and will recognize women in the fields of television, radio and digital media.