“Day J”: Kazakhstan’s Top Journalists Honored in Almaty

On June 27, Almaty hosted the annual “Day J” celebration, marking Kazakhstan’s professional holiday for media workers. Organized by the communications company, 2BAgency, the event brought together journalists, PR professionals, and media representatives to recognize excellence across the country’s media and communications industry. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the “Day J” Awards, which featured five primary categories. Both nominees and jury members were selected through open voting on social media by members of the media community. 2025 “Day J” Award Winners: Best Reporter - Pyotr Trotsenko Best Business Journalist - Olga Fominskikh Best Investigative Journalist - Altynshash Smagulova Best Blogger - Rashit Ilyasov Best Host - Marzhan Elshibayeva [caption id="attachment_33561" align="aligncenter" width="2438"] Image: Mikhail Karpov[/caption] The event also featured a special Grand Prix category, awarded annually to a media figure whose work has made a lasting impact. This year’s Grand Prix went to Nadezhda Plyaskina, a journalist, director, blogger, and actress with over 30 years of experience. “The Grand Prix is our way of honoring remarkable talent and professional excellence,” said Tatiana Bendz, Director of 2BAgency. “Nadya Plyaskina is a journalist, blogger, actress, and director, a true master of transformation. She’s one of the most vibrant creative figures in Kazakhstan’s media scene, and we’re proud to award her this year’s Grand Prix.” Special Contests and Media Recognition In addition to the main awards, two special contests were held during the evening. Earlier this year, Eurasia Insurance Company and 2BAgency launched a competition for the best media coverage of CASCO auto insurance. The winners were announced at the June 27 event: Best Publication in Kazakh - Gaziza Uzak Best Publications in Russian - Irina Ledovskikh, Zhadyra Turgumbayeva, and Tatyana Batisheva [caption id="attachment_33562" align="aligncenter" width="2163"] Image: Mikhail Karpov[/caption] Media Partners The event was supported by a wide range of media outlets, including: Tribune, CheckPoint, BesMedia, Shishkin_like, Profit, BlueScreen, Finratings, The Times of Central Asia, Newtimes, Offside, Aleminform, Optimism, and Bizmedia.

Kazakhstan Marks Media Workers’ Day with “Day J” Festivities

Kazakhstan will celebrate Media Workers' Day on June 28, a professional holiday honoring everyone in the media industry, including reporters, editors, producers, technicians, and executives. Established by presidential decree, the date commemorates the launch of Turkestan Vedomosti, the first official print publication on the territory of modern-day Kazakhstan. It began publishing in Orenburg on June 28, 1870. For the past decade, “Day J” has brought together journalists and PR professionals to recognize outstanding achievements in Kazakhstani media in a creative, informal atmosphere. This year’s event, timed to coincide with Media Workers’ Day, will be held in Almaty on June 27. The Times of Central Asia is proud to serve as an information partner for “Day J,” an initiative inspired and organized by the communications agency 2BAgency. Theme: Romance of the ’90s This summer’s “Day J” will take participants back to the 1990s, an analog era remembered for cassette-recorded interviews, pager messages, single-cigarette purchases, denim-on-denim fashion, and a shared sense of optimism about the future. A highlight of the evening will be the annual Day J Awards, honoring professionals in five categories: Best Reporter Best Business Journalist Best Investigative Journalist Best Blogger Best Presenter Nominees and jury members were selected via the “Day J” Telegram channel and social media, reflecting recognition from within the journalistic community. Partners and Support As in previous years, the event is made possible by key partners. Sponsors of this year’s celebration include: Forte, a systemically important Kazakh bank Eurasia Insurance Company, a market leader Munchen Pub, renowned for its hospitality KazMinerals, one of the country’s top mining firms Tickets.kz, a leading travel platform ARTиШОК, the acclaimed independent theater RG Brands, producers of ASU and AVA beverages First Brewery, makers of Zhiguli Barnoe beer Additional media and organizational support comes from CheckPoint, BesMedia, Shishkin Like, Tribune, Profit, BlueScreen, Finratings, newtimes.kz, Offside.kz, aleminform.kz, optimism.kz, and bizmedia.kz. Following the event, The Times of Central Asia will publish coverage of the Day J Award winners and explore how this year’s celebration contributes to the evolving story of Kazakhstan’s media landscape.