Awards
Deadline extended for Apollo awards
NEW DELHI: The last date for receiving entries for the Apollo Awards for films, television, television commercials and music has been extended to11 April due to the overwhelming requests.
The Apollo Awards is an initiative by Contineo Media, which will be held in Singapore on18 June. The Awards aims at honouring the best in production and post-production across Asia Pacific, with a strong focus on the creative and technical mastery behind the scenes.
Those in the media and entertainment business that comprises films, TV programmes, TV promotional spots, opening sequences, TVCs or music videos, within the qualifying period are eligible for submission.
The entries will be judged by a jury that combines extensive academic knowledge and industry expertise with many years of experience in the fields of technical and creative.
Headed by Ian Bailie, art director and production designer (Reign of Fire, Pride & Prejudice and Atonement), the jury consists of animation stalwart Suresh Eriyat from India. Other members include: Dayne Cowan, renowned director of film VFX (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Batman Begins, Stranger Than Fiction); Simon Dobbin, production designer/ art director (Contagion, Uninhabited, Preacher’s Kid, Management, Hotel de Love, Kingdom Come, Jason’s Lyric and Bring it on); Emilio Batungbacal, colourist; Kerry Farrell, Senior editor; Rennie Gomes, managing director and sound specialist; Simon Rosenthal, executive producer (Ted, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, The Pacific, Australia, Charlotte’s Web); Derek Wong, senior director, production and David Wood, visual effects and finishing artist / solutions engineer, among others.
There are seventeen categories for the awards:
1. Directing – Long form
2. Directing – short form
3. Cinematography – Short form
4. Cinematography – long (factual/drama)
5. Art Direction
6. Music Composition – Short Length versions
7. Music composition – full length versions
8. Sound Design – short form
9. Sound Design – long form
10. Editing – long form (factual/drama)
11. Editing – Long form (entertainment/reality)
12. Editing – short form
13. Motion Graphics (2D/3D/Claymation, etc. – short form)
14. 2D Animation
15. 3D Animation
16. Visual Effects/CGI – Long Form
17. Visual Effects/CGI – Short Form
18. Colour Grading
Awards
MRSI to honour B.V. Pradeep with lifetime achievement award
Veteran insights leader to be recognised at 7th Golden Key Awards in Mumbai
MUMBAI: The Market Research Society of India will confer its Lifetime Achievement Award on B.V. Pradeep at the 7th Golden Key Awards on March 6, 2026, in Mumbai, celebrating a career that has quietly shaped how businesses listen to consumers.
With more than four decades in the field, Pradeep is widely regarded as one of the architects behind the transformation of market research from a support function into a strategic growth engine. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, he spent nearly 30 years with Unilever in India and overseas, where he developed research frameworks and insight-led systems that went on to become global best practices.
Long before consumer centricity became corporate shorthand, Pradeep championed the idea that organisations should build from the consumer backwards. He played a key role in formalising the consumer and market Insights function, elevating it from number crunching to boardroom influence. From reshaping sensory research in tea and refining brand equity measurement in the 1990s to designing large-scale insight systems and behaviour change models, his work helped businesses turn observation into action.
His impact stretches well beyond India. Pradeep served on Esomar’s Governing Council as vice president and treasurer and worked to strengthen India’s presence in the global research community. He has chaired the joint technical committee for Television Audience Measurement, been a governing council member of the Media Research Users Council and led MRSI as president from 1999 to 2005. He now heads his consultancy, Catalyst-4ur-Growth, advising organisations on marketing, insights and analytics.
TAM Media Research chief growth and partnerships officer and MRSI president Nitin Kamat, said Pradeep’s contribution extends beyond frameworks and methodologies. “He reshaped how organisations think about consumers and expanded the sector’s horizons beyond FMCG. His work elevated insights into a strategic lever for growth, and we are proud to honour his legacy.”
Kantar managing director and qualitative head Apac and committee chair for the award Paru Minocha, noted that Pradeep’s influence is both deep and enduring. “He pioneered frameworks that unlocked growth for clients and agencies alike and helped position India strongly on the global research map. His work strengthened the strategic role of consumer insights in lasting ways.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award jury was chaired by C K Sharma, former strategic consultant and principal at Gallup, and included senior industry leaders from Nestlé India, RSPL, Quantum Consumer Solutions and Inteliphyle Ltd.
As the Golden Key Awards return for their seventh edition, MRSI continues to spotlight the people and ideas that power the research and insights industry. This year, the spotlight falls firmly on a man who ensured that the consumer voice was not just heard, but heeded.
