Awards
Hallmark’s ‘The Guardian’ honoured at the Family Television Awards
MUMBAI: The critically acclaimed The Guardian has added another feather to its cap.
The series, which airs Sundays in India on the Hallmark Channel, was honoured last week as best new series at the Family Television Awards in the US. Simon Baker who plays a corporate lawyer’s efforts at protecting children was also honoured as best actor.
Produced by Columbia TriStar Television in association with CBS Productions, The Guardian was created and written by David Hollander, previously a playwright and screenwriter. Hollander, who was inspired by his brother’s experience working in child welfare, also serves as an executive producer along with Mark Johnson and Michael Pressman.
Also recognised was the CBS TV movie The Rosa Parks Story which will premiere on Hallmark. The awards, in their fourth year, were initiated by the Family Friendly Programming Forum. The group was formed by more than 40 advertisers in the USA to encourage the production of programmes aimed at parents and children.
Tom Bergeron, the Emmy Award winning host of Hollywood Squares and America’s Funniest Home Videos, hosted the event.
A highlight of the ceremony was the sister trio SHeDAISY singing Mine All Mine from their recently released third album, Knock on the Sky. Dick Clark productions produced the Family Television Awards show for the fourth consecutive year. The ceremony is schedul
Awards
Ajay Kakar to chair jury for ad:tech Honours Awards 2026
Industry leaders join jury as nominations surge for marketing tech awards
NEW DELHI: The ad:tech Honours Awards 2026 are gearing up for a bigger second edition, with Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group, set to chair the jury for India’s technology-focused marketing awards.
Organised in partnership with the International Advertising Association India Chapter, the awards celebrate the growing influence of technology in shaping modern advertising and marketing outcomes. This year’s edition has drawn a strong response from across the industry, signalling rising momentum around innovation in marketing technology.
The organisers say the nominations reflect a wide range of ideas and approaches, highlighting how brands and agencies are increasingly leaning on platforms, tools and data to sharpen their campaigns and connect with audiences more effectively.
Leading the evaluation process, Kakar will head a jury made up of senior leaders from across brands, agencies and technology platforms.
The jury panel includes Amaresh Godbole, CEO, digital technology business at Publicis Groupe; Bishwajeet S, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen India; Carol Goyal, executive director at Rediffusion and CEO of Aesthetic Intelligence Lab; Kushal Sanghvi, director at Komerz; Lara Balsara, executive director at Madison World; Rana Barua, group CEO India, sea and North Asia; Deepak Oram, senior vice president growth marketing and martech; and Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, head of marketing and creative solutions at Amazon Ads India.
The ad:tech Honours Awards aim to recognise not just creative campaigns but the smart use of technology that delivers measurable impact and business results. Categories this year reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, content ecosystems, automation, martech and adtech integration, and commerce-led marketing.
The winners will be announced on 17 March 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi during ad:tech New Delhi 2026. The event is expected to bring together leaders from brands, agencies, platforms, creators and technology partners for an evening celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the future of marketing.iconductor industries.
