Awards
That sinking feeling as Oscar ratings fail to Rock
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MUMBAI: Is awards show fatigue setting in in the US? Data for the most important awards show in film The Oscar Awards 2005 that took place on Sunday (early Monday India time) points a clear finger in that direction. Preliminary ratings provided by Nielsen Media Research indicate that about 41.5 million people tuned in to ABC to watch the show. Last year 43.5 million watched The Lord Of The Rings dominate. In India the show aired on Star Movies. |
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The Academy had roped in comedian Chris Rock to host the show in a bid to attract the younger audience that advertisers target. However there was no getting away from the fact that none of the movies that were up for best picture, including the winner Million Dollar Baby, made anywhere near as much as what LOTR grossed. In fact LOTR made more than the five films put together. That would mean that viewers had less stake in watching and being interested in who won. |
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The reduction in the Oscar ratings followed a similar performance for The Golden Globes and Grammy Awards. Advertisers had shelled out an average $1.6 million per 30-second spot this year for The Oscars. Reports indicate that they are still willing to pay despite the gradual ratings decline. That is because in an increasingly fragmented television market guaranteed mass viewership is becoming more difficult.
On a more positive note the Oscars only suffered a five per cent decline in viewership this year. The Golden Globes this year suffered a huge 40 per cent drop. The Grammys posted its worst showing in a decade. An estimated 18.8 million, or 28 per cent less, tuned in. Last year The Emmys for the US television industry had got its smallest audience since 1990. Star Movies signs deal with Firstnet: Meanwhile Star has announced that it has signed a deal with Firstnet which is a part of the Midle East pay TV platform Arab Digital Distribution (Add). Firstnet will air the Oscars in the UAE on 2 March.:  Jamie Foxx’s win ranks as top Tivo moment: One of the highlights of the Oscars was Jamie Foxx’s emotional acceptance speech after winning Best Actor for Ray. This was the top Tivo moment of the Oscar broadcast according to personal video recorder maker TiVo analysis. In his speech, Foxx gave a heartfelt tribute to his grandmother saying “She still talks to me, only now she talks to me in my dreams. I can’t wait to go to sleep tonight.” The second most popular TiVo moment of the evening was Million Dollar Baby winning best picture. TiVo’s audience measurement analysis is based on aggregated data from a sample of 10,000 anonymous TiVo households. TiVo viewership information gauges viewer interest in programming content by measuring the percentage of the TiVo |
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.
