Awards
Judging process for Indian Telly Awards concludes
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MUMBAI: The jury meetings of the programming and technical categories of the fifth Indian Telly Awards concluded late last night, (2 September). |
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The process, of judging commenced on 29 August with the programming jury viewing 16 categories over five days in Mumbai’s Hotel Sea Rock. The technical category juding commenced on 31 August Some 17 professionals were brought together to constitute the two juries, evaluating about 1700 entries in all the categories. The Indian Telly Awards is divided into six categories: trade awards, technical awards, channel awards, programming awards, popular awards and special awards.  Under the popular category, there are 26 awards, while there are 22 technical sub-categories. The programming category covers 15 awards. (Click here for details: http://www.indiantellyawards.com) |
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The jury for the programming awards category included distinguished names from the industry – Dharam Gulati, Lekh Tandon, Rathikant Basu, Rakesh Sharma, Mona Kapoor, Ruby Bhatia Suchitra Pillai, B.M.Vyas, Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal, Ishan Trivedi, Goldie Bhel and Priya Singh Paul. The jury for the Technical Awards consisted of Yunus Bukhari, Hansal Metha, Dharam Gulati and Gayatri Rao. Members attending the jury meet offered mixed reaction. Jury member Dharam Gulati was rather disappointed about the lack of innovations in ideas and concepts on TV. “It is disheartening to see that, despite room for improvement, there is hardly any visibility of change in ideas, concept and format on tube in comparison to last year. TV programmes haven’t kept up to the improvement today’s films have recorded,” he says. Gulati however pins his hopes on the churning happening on the television front with more channels planning their entry. Ruby Bhatia on the other hand added: “I insist that channels and producers should send in more entries and also take care about what they send in as we are compelled to see and judge what has been sent. It is worth taking the pains to win the honour and recognition.” Kiran Joneja however had a fun time judging the entries, “As there is no pre-selection process, it does make our work very taxing. But that however gives a fair chance for everybody. Certain categories are mundane, while several other categories echo attempts of excellence and hard work,” she said. Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal expressed her concern about the sub-standard programmes. However she considers the awards as a medium of inspiration for TV professionals: “Awards are mainly for recognition of quality work, it is mainly to encourage creative professionals to propel their ideas and bring the best work on screen.” By the end of the week, the judges seemed all exhausted but satisifed about of a job well done! |
Awards
Fan Fare as Zee Cine Awards Hands Power to Viewers
Voting opens as 24th edition gears up for grand Mumbai spectacle.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… you decide. The red carpet is being rolled out, but this time, the spotlight swings firmly towards the people in the seats.
The Zee Cine Awards, long regarded as one of Bollywood’s most celebrated honours, return for their 24th edition with a promise to be bigger, louder and far more fan driven. Maruti Suzuki presents the 24th Zee Cine Awards 2026, set to unfold on 28 February and 1 March at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Mumbai.
Over the years, the awards have evolved from a glittering ceremony into a full blown cultural moment, blending star power with scale and audience connection. This year, that connection takes centre stage under the theme ‘Yeh Pal Hai Fans Ka’, positioning audiences not just as spectators, but as decision makers.
Viewers’ Choice voting went live on 11 February 2026, handing fans the power to crown their favourites across multiple categories. From Best Film to Song of the Year, every vote now shapes the outcome.
In the Viewer’s Choice Best Film category, the nominees include Dhurandhar, Chhaava, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Jolly LLB 3 and Jaat.
For Viewer’s Choice Best Actor Male, the race features Ranveer Singh for Dhurandhar, Vicky Kaushal for Chhaava, Akshay Kumar for Kesari Chapter 2, Sunny Deol for Jaat, Akshay Kumar again for Jolly LLB 3 and Dhanush for Tere Ishk Mein.
In the Viewer’s Choice Best Actor Female category, Kriti Sanon for Tere Ishk Mein, Yami Gautam for Haq, Kangana Ranaut for Emergency, Tripti Dimri for Dhadak 2, Aneet Padda for Saiyaara and Sonam Bajwa for Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat are in contention.
Hell Energy Drink Viewer’s Choice Song of the Year includes the Saiyaara Title Song from Saiyaara, Laal Pari from Housefull 5, the Dhurandhar Title Track, Uyi Amma from Azaad, Deewaniyat from Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat and Aavan Jaavan from War 2.
Voting is open across platforms including the ZEE5 app, the official website or on WhatsApp by sending ‘Hi’ to 7700978488, and through comments on official social media posts across Instagram, Facebook and X.
With Maruti Suzuki as presenter and partners including Hell Energy Drink, Rajdhani Dal, L’Oréal Paris Glycolic Gloss, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Balaji Wafers, the event promises high wattage performances and headline grabbing moments. Tickets are available on District by Zomato, while the televised spectacle will air later on Zee TV, Zee Cinema and ZEE5.
As Bollywood’s biggest night approaches, the message is clear. This is no longer just an awards show. It is a reminder that behind every blockbuster, viral song and star turn stands a crowd that cheered first. And this year, that crowd gets the final word.
