Awards
Indian star Diljit Dosanjh misses out on Emmy as Spain’s Oriol Pla claims best actor prize
NEW YORK: Diljit Dosanjh’s Emmy dream ended in heartbreak on Monday night as Spain’s Oriol Pla walked away with the best performance by an actor trophy at the 53rd International Emmy Awards in New York City. The Punjabi superstar, nominated for his turn as folk legend Amar Singh Chamkila in Imtiaz Ali’s Netflix biopic, couldn’t crack a competitive field that included Britain’s David Mitchell for Ludwig and Colombia’s Diego Vasquez for One Hundred Years of Solitude.
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences handed out 16 Emmy statuettes to winners from nine countries, with Britain’s television industry dominating the night. Rivals, the 1980s-set drama about corporate warfare in television, took the drama series prize, whilst Anna Maxwell Martin won best performance by an actress for Until I Kill You. British productions also swept comedy (Ludwig), current affairs (Dispatches: Kill Zone: Inside Gaza), documentary (Hell Jumper), and the TV movie/mini-series category—Lost Boys & Fairies, which beat Dosanjh’s Chamkila biopic.
Pla’s win came for his raw portrayal of a man battling addictions to drugs, alcohol and sex in Yo, Adicto, a Spanish drama about a voluntary stint in a Barcelona detox centre. His performance edged out Dosanjh’s widely praised embodiment of Chamkila, the Punjabi folk singer whose meteoric rise ended in assassination.
The ceremony, hosted by Live with Kelly and Mark presenters Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, saw wins spread across Australia (Bluey for kids’ animation), Turkey (Deha for telenovela), Japan (Ryuichi Sakamoto: Last Days for arts programming), and Qatar (Gaza, Search for Life for news). Denmark’s Shaolin Heroes claimed non-scripted entertainment, whilst Canada’s La Médiatrice took short-form series.
Special awards went to Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, who received the Founders Emmy for championing hits including 24, Glee and Grey’s Anatomy, and João Roberto Marinho, chairman and president of Grupo Globo, who was handed the Directorate Award.
Bruce Paisner, president and chief executive of the International Academy, called television “a powerful force for connection across cultures and borders” as he surveyed winners spanning continents from Turkey to Australia. Dosanjh, dressed in a glittering jacket and black turban, made his mark on the red carpet even without the trophy—a bittersweet consolation for Indian viewers who’d hoped to see him make Emmy history.
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.
