Awards
Bob Costas to host 31st International Emmy Awards
NEW YORK: The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced that veteran television broadcaster, Bob Costas, of HBO’s Emmy-winning On the Record with Bob Costas, has been named to host the 2003 International Emmy Awards Gala which will be held on 24 November, 2003 at the New York Hilton Hotel.
“The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is very pleased to have Bob Costas as our host for this year’s Gala. He is known around the world for his television coverage of the Olympics and his popular HBO show. We are also excited to welcome HBO’s star of Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker as the presenter of the International Emmy Founders Award for innovative programming to HBO. The 31st International Emmy Gala will be a truly high-profile, memorable event,” said International TV Academy President Fred Cohen.
One of television’s most accomplished broadcasters, Costas joined HBO Sports in February 2001 with the debut of the critically acclaimed On The Record With Bob Costas. In April 2003, Costas was presented with the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Host, marking the second straight year that he received that honor for his hosting of On The Record.
In September 2002, Costas joined Cris Collinsworth, Dan Marino and Cris Carter as co-host of HBO’s award-winning football programme Inside the NFL, cable’s longest-running series. The programme received the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show-Weekly. Costas also serves as host of various HBO Pay-Per-View boxing specials.
Sarah Jessica Parker continues to receive significant recognition for her character Carrie Bradshaw on the Emmy winning show, Sex and the City. In India the show will commence on HBO next month. In addition to three consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress, Parker has also been honored with four Emmy nominations. Also an accomplished stage and screen actress, Parker most recently appeared in David Mamet’s satirical comedy, State and Main.
Some of Parker’s recent feature films include Hugh Wilson’s live action version of Jay Ward’s 1960’s classic cartoon, Dudley Do-Right, Til There Was You, Mars Attacks, Extreme Measures, If Lucy Fell, The First Wives Club, Substance of Fire and Miami Rhapsody.
Currently, Parker is the National Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for Unicef, and was awarded the 1995 American Civil Liberties Union Award.
Other presenters will be announced shortly. In addition to the presentation of the International Emmy Awards, the International TV Academy will present the International Emmy Directorate Award to BBC’s Director General Greg Dyke for his outstanding achievement in television broadcasting, and the International Emmy Founders Award to HBO, for its innovative programming.
The International Emmy Nominees will be announced at a press conference in Cannes, France at MIPCOM on 10 October, 2003. This year’s sponsors include: Hewlett Packard, Sun Media China, Eurasia Media Forum, Reed Midem, Air France, Sofitel Hotels, Audio Plus Video International and Variety. The show will be produced for the third year in a row by Chip Quigley, Kingdom Productions.
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.
