GECs
Eutelsat announces recipients of 6th Hot Bird Awards
PARIS: The winners of the sixth Hot Bird TV Awards were announced a few days ago at a ceremony in Venice. Organised by Eutelsat and Eurovisioni, and sponsored by Alcatel Space, Arianespace and Astrium, the awards each year recognise excellence of satellite broadcasting of thematic television.
The winners were selected by a jury of European television journalists. They met last month in Rome to view a record 120 thematic channels broadcasting in 13 languages. They were separated into eight categories: News, Cinema & Fiction, Culture, Documentaries, Kids, Music, Sport, and Various.
The jury rewarded the channels that they consider displayed particular originality and quality in their programming and presentation.
The winners were:
| Category | Winners |
| Children’s | Minimax (Poland), Rai Sat Ragazzi (Italy) |
| Cinema & Fiction | Sky Cinema Author (Italy), TCM (France) |
| Culture | Rai Nettuno Sat (Italy) |
| Documentaries | Grandes Documentales (Spain), Voyage (France) |
| Music | Canal Clasico (Spain) |
| News | Rai News 24 (Italy) |
| Other | Public Sénat (France) |
| Sport | ESPN Classic Sport (France) |
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
