TEHRAN – At a prestigious ceremony held in Moscow on Tuesday, Mair Media Group was named among the top three international winners of the 14th Expert of the Year 2025 Award.
This honor highlights Mr. Mehr’s influential role in promoting media cooperation between Iran and the BRICS member states.
The awards event brought together media experts, industry leaders, business leaders and celebrities from 12 countries, including Iran, India and Brazil, to celebrate outstanding projects across 16 categories. The Expert of the Year Award recognizes professionals who present innovative ideas and groundbreaking initiatives in economics, media, public administration, culture, industry, and social activities. These activities often take place behind the scenes and have a significant impact on national development and international cooperation.
With the support of TV BRICS, this prestigious award has evolved from national recognition to a prominent global platform attracting participants from all over the world. The event’s final statement was published in six languages, underscoring its international scope and comprehensiveness. It has become an important venue for showcasing professional excellence and fostering cross-border partnerships.
This year, Mehr Media Group was named one of the top international candidates for its active efforts in strengthening media diplomacy, producing analytical content, and representing the truth about Iran-Russia relations. The jury praised the group’s efforts to expand the story of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow and highlight the two countries’ cultural and economic ties.
Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati, CEO of Mehr Media Group (consisting of Mehr News Agency and the English-language daily Tehran Times), expressed his satisfaction through a video message, stressing that the award reflects Iran’s effective media efforts to paint a realistic picture of relations between Tehran and Moscow. He underlined the group’s role as the media partner of TV BRICS since 2023 and stressed that it is actively working on portraying the rich cultural and historical ties between Iran and Russia.
Mr. Rahmati also pointed to the strategic importance of the media in countering Western narratives and stressed the importance of collaborative efforts supported by TV BRICS to accurately convey the capabilities and partnerships of participating countries. “Our participation is consistent with our social responsibility and our commitment to strengthening international understanding,” he added.
In the international projects category, one of the notable winners was Masoud Ahmadvand, Russia’s cultural attaché to Iran, who received the award for his “Patterns of Friendship” project, an exhibition that showcases Iran’s cultural heritage through artworks by Russian artists. The project was highly praised by the jury for its role in promoting cultural diplomacy.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Expert Award team for making the decision, and my wonderful colleagues at TV BRICS, who actively cooperate with the Iranian embassy and cultural representatives,” said Ahmadvand upon receiving the award.
“For us, receiving this award is very valuable and we are proud to have received it from a professional team. This will give us further motivation to hold the second stage of the festival on an even larger scale and to put more effort into strengthening the cultural ties between Iran and Russia,” he said.
Among the international award winners was Sonu Saini of Jawaharlal Nehru University, whose translation project bridged cultural exchanges between Russia and India. Amazing Grace Ajayi, a Nigerian documentary filmmaker, is known for promoting intercultural dialogue through film. Amjad Osman, a regional media advisor who promoted objective regional reporting;
Established in 2012, the Expert of the Year Award aims to recognize individuals and projects that have introduced innovative solutions across a variety of sectors. From 2024 onwards, TV BRICS will partner as an official media supporter, further expanding the global reach of the award.
As Iran continues to strengthen its media presence and international cooperation, Mehr Media Group’s achievements in Moscow confirm its important role in shaping the narrative of Iran’s cultural and diplomatic engagement on the world stage.
SAB/