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22nd DigiCon6 Asia awards: India’s Neeraja Raj bags Asia silver
MUMBAI: At the 22nd DigiCon6 Asia Awards, which recognises and rewards talented creators throughout the region, India’s Neeraja Raj bagged Asia silver for her submission – Meow or Never – in the category of best animated technique.
Meow or Never is a nine-minute-long animated comedy short. It tells the story in a madcap musical, where a catstronaut travels the galaxy looking for the meaning of life, but when she encounters a space pup eager to help, it only gets them into trouble at every turn.
AnimationXpress is the India partner of Digicon. Ecstatic about Raj’s achievement, Indiantelevision.com group founder, CEO & editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari said, “We, at AnimationXpress.com which is part of the Indiantelevision.com group and is the Indian partner of Digicon, are delighted that 26-year-old Neeraja Raj's Meow or Never got awarded a silver for best technique. She is a young emerging talent who managed to best many other Asian professionals who are very much senior to her."
Sponsored by Japan’s TBS broadcast network, the awards ceremony was held on Saturday, 28 November at the Marunouchi Building Hall in Tokyo. With this year’s new participants, Laos and Mongolia, the number of members has increased to 16. Due to the Covid2019 outbreak, this year the regional award winners participated online and the award ceremony was broadcast live. The awarded trophies were drawn in CG and broadcasts made from six points in Asia. Care in the production was taken to make the event enjoyable for all the Asian participants. Hong Kong's work Dragon's Delusion: Preface by Kong Kee (43) was selected for the top grand prize from among the works of the 16 regions.
Dragon's Delusion: Preface is an animated work that depicts the world where cyborgs and androids coexist with humans, as the ambitious Qin Shi Huang works on the development of secret technologies that enable immortality by combining humans and machines.
The DigiCon6 Asia awards encourages outstanding content creators and promotes mutual understanding. The film contest has been held annually by TBS since 2000 for this purpose. It is open to both professionals and amateurs of all ages. There are no restrictions as long as the films are works within 15 minutes. Winners are chosen after a strict screening. In 2006 the festival was expanded to include other areas in Asia. This yearʼs participants are Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Japan. Creators from DigiCon6 are active in various content production sites throughout Asia.
Here is the 22nd DigiCon6 ASIA Awards winners list :-
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Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
