KITZBUHEL, AUSTRIA, November 23, 2009 - The annual Laureus Media Prize Germany was held for the first time in Kitzbuhel, Austria, when newspaper, magazine and broadcast journalists were honoured for outstanding work in the sports media in 2009. This year's event was hosted by Laureus World Sports Academy member Boris Becker, Chairman of the Laureus Foundation Germany, and Anders Sundt Jensen, Executive Director, Laureus.
Among the 300 guests at the new Grand Tirolia Golf & Ski Resort were Laureus Academy member and football legend Franz Beckenbauer and World heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, who is a member of the Laureus Friends & Ambassadors Programme. Also present was German World Cub star Lothar Matthäus, and Laureus Friends & Ambassadors Franziska van Almsick, Michael Teuber, Axel Schulz, Martin Braxenthaler, Hermann Maier and Thomas Muster.
Abendzeitung Munich sports journalist Matthias Kerber won the category ‘Spirit of Laureus'. In one of the most moving awards presented on the night Bengt Pflughaupt from Hanover was honoured posthumously for his ‘journalistic courage', while Reinhold Beckmann from Hamburg was honoured for his ‘social commitment'. The three winners were selected by the votes of a prominent jury headed by Boris Becker.
Two Laureus Media Special Awards were presented to Stefan Blöcher for his commitment to the Laureus Foundation and to Dietmar Hopp for his strong support of social projects for children and teenagers in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan region.
The nominees were:
'Spirit of Laureus' - Matthias Kerber, the editorial office of the Mannheimer Morgen and the freelance journalist Andrea Vodermayer.
‘Journalistic courage' - Bengt Pfughaupt, Axel Wolfsgruber (Focus), Thomas Hennecke (Kicker) and Jan-Julien Beer (Express Cologne).
‘Social commitment' - Rainhold Beckmann, the editorial department of zibb, 96 hours (rbb) and the sports desk of the Oldenburgischen Volkszeitung.
Joining Franz Beckenbauer on stage to present the prizes were Laureus Academy member and double Formula One world champion Mike Hakkinen and Henrik Ekdahl, General Manager IWC Northern Europe.
Also at the event, former World skiing champion Hermann Maier and tennis star Thomas Muster were both introduced as new members of the Laureus Friends & Ambassadors programme.
Muster, who used to play tennis against Boris Becker, joked with the audience: "I found out that I now have lots of bosses to work with, but I have also found out that my big boss is Boris Becker. I am not sure how this will work for me." On a more serious note he added: "Everyone is looking forward to working hard to make a difference to young people's lives through sport."
The evening finished off with a Christmas carol selection by local school children.
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