CNN Philippines’ senior anchor Rico Hizon scored another victory when he was named Best News Anchor or Presenter at the 28th Asian Television Awards (ATA) held at Hoa Binh Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Jan. 12.

Hizon bested seven other nominees for the award including Ryan Wiedaryanto (Indosiar), Charms Espina (PTV), Lee Chen-Chen (Formosa News), Kishore Ajwani (TV18), Shereen Bhan (CNBC TV18), Joee Guilas (PTV), and Anand Narasimhan (CNN - News18).

“This is fantastic. It's so surreal to win again the Asian Television Awards' Best News Presenter and Anchor here in Vietnam," Hizon said in his acceptance speech.

He added: “Every recognition given to a broadcast journalist is always a challenge that we always have to deliver balanced and fair news."

Hizon also shared the recognition with the producers and writers of "The Final Word" and CNN Philippines, along with his wife Melanie, son Migo, and God.

In 2022, CNN Philippines' late-night news program "The Final Word" won the Best News Program award from the ATA for the second year.

In December, Hizon received the Golden Goddess statuette for Best Factual Presenter (Best News Anchor and Best Current Affairs Anchor in Asia categories combined) as Grand Final Winner at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2023 during ceremonies held in Singapore.

The award was announced during a Sept. 28 ,2023 livestream, which showcased over 300 national winners across 36 categories. Known for his exceptional journalism on CNN Philippines' nightly news show, The Final Word with Rico Hizon, the news channel’s senior news anchor, is a force to reckon with. 

Pilar Manuel, Senior New Producer of The Final Word, underscored Hizon's commitment to excellence. "We treat every weeknight as an opportunity to inspire, collaborate, and learn from one another. Yet despite all these achievements, our anchor and the team never rest on their laurels and always remind us we're only as good as our last show."

This isn't Hizon's first brush with accolades; he bagged his second national AACA win with this award. His first AACA came in 2020 with a Best News Program award for The Final Word, signaling his successful return to Philippine TV after 25 years of international reporting for BBC News and CNBC.