Awards Wrap: Digital Innovation Awards 2023 open for entries, SA podcast series steals spotlight with One Media Award win, the f
The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.
Digital Innovation Awards 2023 open for entries
2023 BCX Digital Innovation Awards has officially opened for entries, with three major categories: Public Sector Entities, Corporate Enterprise, and Small & Medium Enterprise.
“I am excited to see what innovations our entrants bring to this year’s awards. Each year, my fellow judges and I have been astounded by the ingenuity and creativity of the entries. It is also encouraging that the BCX Digital Innovation Awards has grown in stature and recognition. Reputable businesses such as Old Mutual, Discovery Bank and Shoprite Checkers, have been some of the previous entrants and winners. It is also encouraging that the SME entrants have produced inspiring innovations that are impacting industries in South Africa and in some instances, across the world,” said Mandisa Ntloko-Petersen, chief marketing officer, and the Awards Programme Sponsor at BCX.
Now in its fifth year, the BCX Digital Innovation Awards has become a showcase for innovative technology professionals and organisations in South Africa.
The 2023 BCX Digital Innovation Awards entries close on 31 July 2023, with shortlisting and judging taking place from September to October 2023. The winners will be announced in November 2023 at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg. To enter, click here.
FCB Africa shines at the 2023 Cannes advertising festival
FCB Africa has made an indelible mark at the 2023 Cannes Advertising Festival. The agency’s achievements included the appointment of esteemed judges and an impressive collection of awards, highlighting FCB Africa’s unwavering dedication to excellence.
Tseliso Rangaka, a creative leader and Jury President, represented FCB Africa as a judge for the radio and audio category at Cannes.
Thabang Lehobye, FCB Africa’s head of design, was honoured to serve as a judge in the prestigious Design category at the Cannes Advertising Festival.
The agency’s remarkable success extended beyond the judging panels, with FCB Africa receiving a shortlist nomination for their groundbreaking work on the GBV campaign for the Western Cape Government.
In addition, FCB Africa accepted a Silver Lion for their exceptional corporate identity work executed for the Digital Youth ITC Academy (DYITC).
FCB’s global network has also garnered significant recognition, with 1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 11 Silver, 12 Bronze, and 92 Shortlist accolades. This remarkable feat underscores FCB’s commitment to raising the bar in the advertising industry, consistently exceeding expectations, and never settling for anything less than excellence.
“We are immensely proud of the exceptional accomplishments of our team at the 2023 Cannes Advertising Festival,” said Reagen Kok, managing director at FCB Africa. “These achievements demonstrate our unwavering commitment to innovation and creativity. At FCB, our motto of ‘never finished’ drives us to continually innovate and deliver impactful campaigns that resonate with audiences and drive results.”
To view the winning work: https://www.fcb.co.za/our-work/
South African podcast series steals spotlight with One Media Award win
Radio Workshop’s I Will Not Grow Old Here has emerged victorious in the highly competitive Best Podcast and Radio category at this year’s One World Media Awards, an annual ceremony that celebrates stories from the global south that break through stereotypes and change narratives.
I Will Not Grow Old Here is a gripping three-part series that captures the daily experiences of Mary-Ann Nobele, a 23-year-old resident of Alexandria (Alex), an informal settlement nestled in Johannesburg, South Africa. Through intimate interviews with Mary-Ann’s loved ones, this compelling story offers listeners a distinctive window into her current reality.
“We worked together to honour the struggles and joys of people’s lives within Alexandra,” commented podcast editor, Lesedi Mogoatlhe. “The unanticipated global resonance of a tale centred around a young woman residing in an often-overlooked area, has far exceeded our wildest expectations. It serves as a testament to the meaningful impact that stories can have, transcending geographical boundaries and profoundly touching individuals around the world. What makes us even prouder, is that this narrative hails from our very own continent, showcasing the immense power and significance of an African story.”
The other nine category nominees included “Bitter tales of Salima Sugar Company”, which exposes the harsh working conditions on Malawi’s sugarcane fields and “Course Correction”, a podcast that reflects on the different aspects of the refugee experience.
Announcing an industry first: an AI awards juror
The Epica Awards has announced an industry first: an AI awards juror. It’s the first time in over 35 years that a non-journalist has been invited to vote on Epica Awards entries, which are normally judged exclusively by the press.
The AIJE – or AI Jury Experiment – will take place on the margins of this year’s Epica Awards. The results will not count towards the official prizes. The AI will be asked to make its judgements based on text: the summary of the creative idea that agencies are required to include alongside their entries.
This means that only the idea itself can be judged, not its execution. In this initial phase, the AI will restrict its focus to categories encompassing technique and digital mediums. The AI will be tasked with assessing each idea in relation to others within its designated category. The AI’s assessments, performed over multiple iterations, are then averaged, ensuring a more robust and reliable evaluation of each concept’s creative value.
The Epica Awards will publish the results alongside its official list of winners on 8 December 2023.
Operations director Nicolas Huvé, who is behind the initiative, said: “AI is poised to revolutionize creativity, and as a creative award organization, we simply couldn’t turn a blind eye. After months of testing, we’re confident that we now have a functional protocol, albeit for research purposes. Our experimental AI juror is not part of our main jury and we have no plans to replace our esteemed journalists. But it will be fascinating to see if the results have anything in common.”
Established in 1987, Epica Awards is unique as it is the only creative industry prize judged by the press. Today the jury brings together more than 200 chief editors and senior reporters from trade, specialist and mainstream titles in over 60 countries.
Celebrating journalism and factual productions
The 19th annual AIBs, celebrating the world’s best journalism and factual productions, are open for entry! Work is arriving from broadcasters and producers from Korea to the USA, Sweden to Australia. Join them in this renowned and respected competition.
Information is available in the entry book, and there’s more on the website at http://theaibs.tv.
You are invited enter the AIBs 2023 and showcase work that you and your colleagues have produced during the past year. Our international panel of judges are keen to see the stories that you’ve brought to your audiences – whatever language the work is in.
RSG AND ATKV JOIN FORCES FOR THE 27TH ANNUAL RADIO DRAMA WRITING COMPETITION
Johannesburg-Tuesday, 13 June 2023-RSG, in collaboration with the ATKV, is proud to announce the launch of the highly anticipated RSG Radio Drama Writing Competition for the 27th consecutive year. This prestigious competition aims to showcase the creativity and talent of Afrikaans-speaking writers, providing them with a platform to bring their stories to life through the captivating medium of radio.
Radio dramas unfold within the theatre of the mind and engage and transport listeners into a world of imagination, therefore this opportunity inspire aspiring writers to be creative and prioritise the listener in their craft. Emphasizing the importance of radio dramas, Gerrie Lemmer, the CEO of Culture at ATKV, highlights their ability to deliver the art of words directly to the audience’s homes. “The ATKV is honoured to partake in this collaboration, acknowledging the significance of radio in the lives of numerous Afrikaans speakers, as we strive to contribute to the advancement and safeguarding of the exquisite Afrikaans language”.
With a total prize pool of R115,000, this year’s competition offers significant rewards for talented writers. The overall winner will receive R50,000, the runner-up will be awarded R25,000, and the third-place individual will receive R15,000. Additionally, a special prize of R15,000 will be awarded to the Young Writer (younger than 30 years). Furthermore, a merit prize of R10,000 will be granted to a drama chosen by the judges from the finalists who do not qualify for the top four positions.
In addition to the prize money, the winning radio dramas will also have the honour of being broadcast on RSG in 2024, reaching a wide audience across the country.
The scripts have to be submitted in Afrikaans and there is no prescribed theme. Entrants are required to submit original and previously unpublished radio dramas, with a duration between 40 and 50 minutes or a maximum of 45 A4 pages typed according to the competition rules. Each participant is allowed only one entry and a maximum of seven characters can be included in the script. Entries close on 31 August 2023.
To guide participants in crafting their compelling radio dramas, a comprehensive manual containing the competition rules and entry form is available free of charge on RSG’s www.rsg.co.za. This includes a dedicated page with valuable writing tips to assist both aspiring and experienced writers in honing their skills.
The assessment process consists of several rounds, starting with the selection of ten to twenty texts in the first round. The chosen works will then be refined during the final rounds with the help of a mentor, leading to the submission of the revised texts for the ultimate judging phase.
Estel de Beer, RSG’s Senior Producer stated that “Mandate, highlights the significance of the radio drama writing competition as a vital tool for discovering new talent and amplifying diverse voices. The range of submissions received ensures that a wide range of topics and narratives are explored, enriching the experience for listeners”.
For detailed information about the competition and to access the competition manual, please visit RSG’s website at rsg.co.za.