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Spikes Asia calls for entries
MUMBAI: The Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity, Asia Pacific’s awards and festival for the creative communications industry, is now open for entries for its 2013 awards.
Entries are being accepted into a total of 16 categories: film, print, outdoor, radio, media, direct, promo and activation, digital, print and poster craft, film craft, design, pr, mobile, integrated, branded content and entertainment and creative effectiveness.
Nine juries will be present in Singapore, home to Spikes Asia, to judge and award work entered from across the region. Winners of this year’s awards will be revealed and honoured at the annual awards ceremony which will bring the Festival to a close on 17 September.
“It’s exciting opening for entries for a new year. We get to see the trends and initiatives that are coming out of the region; a region that is currently experiencing huge growth and development, and is setting the creative bar high. It will be interesting to see who emerge as the winners of Spikes Asia 2013,” Lions Festivals chairman Terry Savage said.
A number of special accolades will also be presented including, network of the year, independent agency of the year, Spikes Asia agency of the year, media agency of the year and the Spikes Palm Award, which is given to the most awarded production company. The Spikes Asia advertiser of the year, given to clients who have distinguished themselves by the quality of their campaigns or who inspire innovative marketing of their products or services, will also be honoured on stage.
This year, the media agency of the year Award has been realigned so that only a media agency will be eligible to win the award. Advertising agencies, clients, media owners and others can continue to enter and win a Spikes Media award but they cannot compete for the media agency of the year honour.
All of the shortlisted work will be on display through exhibitions and screenings throughout the Festival offering attendees the chance to see a showcase of the best work coming out of the Asia Pacific region.
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Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
