Awards
Four Emmys on CNN’s platter
MUMBAI:CNN bagged four awards at The 23rd Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, hosted by the the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences earlier this week.
The channel won the Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft Direction for Exodus and Best Story in a Regular Scheduled Newscast in 2001 for Struggle for Islam. Saira Shah won two awards, the first for Outstanding Investigative Journalism Long Form for Beneath the Veil and the other for ‘Outstanding Coverage of a Continuing Story Long Form for Unholy War.
The award winning Exodus by Sorious Samura investigates the attempts made by thousands of Africans to enter Europe illegally each year in search of a better life. In the documentary Samura travels to Mali, the Sahara Desert, Morocco and Spain as he follows West African exiles attempting to make their way to the “promised land” of Europe. He talks to refugees along the length of the route and reports on the hardships that compel them to embark on this perilous journey, fleeing from their native lands.
Struggle for Islam by Christiane Amanpour examines the many faces of Islam, through interviews with eminent scholars and practicing Muslims across the globe. It endeavours to find out how a religion that was at the heart of a flowering civilization, passing new ideas about medicine and architecture to the West during the Dark Ages, evolved in the modern era.
Beneath the Veil which won Saira Shah the award for ‘Outstanding Investigative Journalism Long Form’, traces her journey to her ancestral home in Afghanistan, and takes a look at life under the iron rule of the Taliban. Using secret footage, hidden cameras and with unprecedented access, Shah shows viewers the ruins of Kabul, public executions and the forbidden underground network of women struggling to survive. From the frontlines to the forbidden classrooms, the execution grounds to the ruined gardens of Shahs fathers homeland, this film takes a searing and disturbing look into the Afghanistan of Taliban rule.
Unholy War, which bagged the second award for Saira Shah is based on her return to the village of Mawmaii in Afghanistan to follow up on the story of three girls whose mother was shot dead by the Taliban in front of them. On her journey to find the girls, who were first seen in Beneath the Veil, she unravels the story of a long-suffering nation that has all but forgotten what peace is and meets the child soldiers, victims, smugglers, tribal leaders, fighters and ordinary Afghans caught up in the war against terrorism.
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.
