GECs
Zee steals the show at Goafest as creativity gets its day in the sun
MUMBAI: The glittering second day of Goafest 2025 turned into a proper awards ceremony slugfest as Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd strutted away with the coveted ‘broadcaster of the year’ crown, leaving its competitors nursing wounded egos and consolation prizes.
With the swagger of a seasoned prize-fighter, Zee knocked out the competition with a knockout punch of 28 points, courtesy of two golds, one silver, one bronze and a merit. Not bad for a day’s work, really.
Star India Pvt Ltd put up a respectable fight, clinching second place with 18 points after bagging one gold, one silver and two merits. Meanwhile, Viacom18 Media Private Litd had to settle for bronze medal position with 16 points, managing two silvers and one bronze—a performance that suggests they’re more silver screen than silver medal material.
The others weren’t entirely left empty-handed. Cheil India and Culver Max Entertainment each snagged a gold apiece, earning themselves eight points and a modicum of bragging rights at the office water cooler.
The Abby Creative Awards 2025, powered by The One Show, didn’t stop at the broadcaster shakedown. Day two saw the advertising industry’s finest duke it out across specialist categories including public relations, digital specialist, design specialist, mobile specialist, technology specialist, and direct specialist. Because apparently, everyone’s a specialist these days.
The awards, which have become something of a premier benchmark for excellence in Indian advertising and media, continue to prove that creativity isn’t dead—it’s just very competitive and occasionally ruthless.
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.
