The Videonet Connected TV Awards are back and our search for stand-out innovation and leadership across the TV industry officially began this week. These awards are 100% focused on the television marketplace and will showcase the work of platform operators, channel owners and broadcasters, streaming service providers, media buyers and, of course, the technology vendors that underpin their success.
The awards are organised by Videonet magazine, part of Mediatel Events, and have a judging panel that features no less than 14 top executives who are currently working for a service provider, broadcaster or media agency. You can see the full list of judges below, which also features highly respected consultants with a history of working with some of the biggest names in television.
The awards entry submission deadline is Friday, November 8, 2019 – in just under six weeks’ time. You can find everything you need to enter at our awards microsite, here.
These awards are a genuine meritocracy. Anyone – large or small, established or start-up – can win based purely on their achievements. The Videonet Connected TV Awards will be hosted at Connected TV World Summit on Wednesday March 18, 2020. Shortlisted entries will be announced on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.
The categories for 2020 are:
- The Premium TV Award
- Excellence in Data Analytics, AI or ML
- Game-changing Advertising Technology
- Contribution to Streaming Video Excellence
- Advancing the TV User Experience
- The Advertising Leadership Award
- Customer Premise Innovation
- Protecting Content and its Value
- Outstanding Contribution to Operational Efficiency
- Lifetime Television Industry Achievement Award
- The Videonet Grand Prix
The awards microsite contains full explanations about each category, guidance on what judges are looking for, the entry form questions and the mechanism to submit entries.
The judges for the television category are:
(For all categories except ‘Game-changing Advertising Technology’ and ‘The Advertising Leadership Award’)
- Ben Lavender, CPO, DAZN
- Roma Kojima, Senior Director, OTT Video (CBC Gem), Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- Steven Hawley, Principal Analyst and Consultant, tvstrategies
- Dan Fahy, VP Commercial and Content Distribution, Viacom International Media Networks
- Sion Wynn Jones, Director of Product, YouView
- William Cooper, Founder and Chief Executive, informitv
- Janine Smith, Digital Content Director, Channel 4 Television
- Ian Nock, Managing Director and Founder, Fairmile West
- Colin Phillips, IPTV & CPE Solutions Architect, BT
- Erwan Nedellec, Orange Referent Expert and Senior Expert on TV Technical Solutions, Orange
- Benjamin Schwarz, Consultant, CToic Consulting
- Anna-Maria Vujinovic, Director Digital & Business Development, Tech and Data, RTL
- Thomas Helbo, CTO and SVP Technology, Tele2
- David Price Principal, Scala Advisors
- Anette Schaefer, Managing Director, BIG Picture
- Michael Roedel, Head of TV Experience and Design, Vodafone Group
- John Moulding, Editor-in-Chief, Videonet.
The judges for the advertising categories are:
(Covering ‘Game-changing Advertising Technology’ and ‘The Advertising Leadership Award’)
- Jeff Eales, Director of Systems & Development, Sky
- Mathias Berg, COO, TV4 Group and Head of Business Unit Advertising, Bonnier Broadcasting
- Jean-Paul Edwards, Chief Product Development Officer, OMD EMEA
- Paola Colombo, General Manager, Adtech and Business Development, Publitalia ‘80
- John Moulding, Editor-in-Chief, Videonet.
Send your nominations for our Oscars style categories
We have three Oscars style categories this year, where Videonet magazine and judges can nominate companies or people for consideration by the whole judging panel. These categories are:
- The Premium TV Award
- The Advertising Leadership Award
- Lifetime Television Industry Achievement Award
You can propose candidates for Videonet to consider and possibly put before the judges by emailing john.moulding@mediatelevents.com by Friday, October 18, 2019. Please visit the awards microsite for full details. There are also summaries about these categories below. It is free to propose an awards candidate in these categories.
The Premium TV Award – Oscars style
This category recognises outstanding achievement in the delivery of a premium TV service and/or premium TV programming to consumers. We will consider Pay TV and free-to-air platform owners, broadcasters and subscription channel owners, SVOD providers, Pay Lite/Skinny services, direct-to-consumer distributors, social TV curators and any other media company offering content that is deemed by the judges to be of premium quality (which excludes user-generated and very low-budget). We do not consider individuals for this category. Tell us about someone we should consider (and why). Email john.moulding@mediatelevents.com by Friday, October 18, 2019.
The Advertising Leadership Award – Oscars style
This category rewards an organisation/company for outstanding achievements in advancing the use of TV/premium video as an advertising medium. They could be recognised on the basis of a single project/innovation or a whole catalogue of innovations that, over a period of time, add up to a narrative of market leadership. We will consider media owners, media buyers, industry alliances, advocacy organisations, standards bodies, etc, but not individuals. If you are interested in nominating a person for an award, please see ‘Lifetime Television Industry Achievement Award’. Tell us about someone we should consider (and why). Email john.moulding@mediatelevents.com by Friday, October 18, 2019.
Lifetime Television Industry Achievement Award – Oscars style
This is our individual-level category where you can nominate yourself, a colleague or other working acquaintance, or even someone you have never met, for their contribution to the television industry. The person you nominate must have spent at least eight years working in the television industry in some capacity, in total. We are looking for people who have changed our industry – leaders, champions, disruptors. Among other things, this person may have:
- Driven a media company, advocacy organisation, standards body or tech vendor (or other relevant outfit) to new heights
- Demonstrated leadership that transcended their own organisations, was an inspiration to others and which had a lasting impact upon the wider industry beyond their employer
- Overseen transformational strategic roadmaps that resulted in successful outcomes or which are generally acknowledged to have set a company/organisation on a new and promising course
- Been largely responsible for an industry innovation/development that was/is so exceptional and important that this alone should be acknowledged with an award, where the outcome from their work can already be shown to have been a success.
Tell us about someone we should consider (and why). Email john.moulding@mediatelevents.com by Friday, October 18, 2019.
Do you have any questions?
You can find contact details for questions concerning categories and judging, awards ceremony logistics or awards ceremony tables/sponsorship/sales at the awards microsite.
Reasons to enter
- Judged by senior executives at service providers and broadcasters alongside highly respected independent consultants
- Videonet and Connected TV World Summit audiences are 100% focused on television strategy and technology – and include senior execs whose job is to define and manage major new projects
- Wide coverage, and full support for your own awards-related press or social marketing activities
- Your team will know any award they receive is based purely on merit – judging is truly independent and transparent
- Smooth and painless awards submission process (the entry form requires up to 1,400 words).
History and previous winners
The Videonet Connected TV Awards were launched in 2011. Two years ago, Mediatel Events merged the Videonet Connected TV Awards with the Connies awards to showcase innovation across the whole media ecosystem, from television technology through to media planning and media research. This year we undertook research to see if this model best serves the television and TV advertising sectors that Videonet champions and, responding to what we were told, we have given the TV-focused categories a life of their own again, with the return of the Videonet Connected TV Awards.
