(Photo: CNA)

A radio documentary on cryptocurrency scams broadcast on Singapore station CNA938 has won the Society of Publishers Asia (SOPA) regional award for Excellence in Audio Reporting.

CNA938 is an English-language radio station operated by Mediacorp. The documentary, The Alarming Rise of Cryptocurrency Scams, received the award on 16 June, CNA reports.

It features a cryptocurrency scam victim sharing his story, analysts who give a behind-the-scenes look at enforcement and recovery investigations, and a developer who created an unexpected viral hit in Singapore’s cryptocurrency space, the Umbrage Coin.

Judges commented that the winning CNA938 piece was “excellent reporting on a significant issue”. They lauded it for “high production quality”, saying: “This sets the bar for audio journalism in the region. It touches a very current, urgent and complicated topic very successfully with extremely detailed editing.”

CNA938 producer Ernest Puey, who narrated the piece, said he was inspired to produce the programme after noticing a “staggering” rate of increase in cryptocurrency scams.

SOPA is a Hong Kong-based not-for-profit organisation dedicated to pursuing excellence in journalism. Its awards recognise outstanding works of journalism over the past year in the Asia-Pacific region.