Awards
Academy Awards get better ratings for ABC
MUMBAI: There is some positive news for Disney’s beleagured broadcast network ABC. Its broadcast of the 76 Academy Awards on 29 February did much better than last yEar’s telecast.
US media reports indicate that 43.5 million viewers watched the final installment in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy The Return Of The King make a clean sweep. This was an increase of 32 per cent over last year’s ratings. In India the show aired live on Star Movies on 1 March early in the morning.
ABC research chief Larry Hyams was quoted in a Newsday report saying that he was satisfied with the performance. However the figures were well below the 55.2 million figure which happened when Titanic like LOTR won 11 Oscars in 1998.
It must be said that while the host Billy Crystal was funny as usual there was nothing else too memorable that night. This writer felt that most of the acceptance speeches were sleep inducing and the thudding monotony of New Zealand being thanked due to LOTR did not help matters much. On a more positive note all the actors deserved their trophies. Sean Penn who won for Mystic River could have done with a bit of advance preparation as far as his speech was concerned.
A report in AP added that ABC and its cable affiliates heavily marketed the show with promotional spots and series that mentioned the awards. Characters on soap operas talked up the delights of the Oscars. The series I’m With Her had a running story line in which actress Teri Polo’s character is up for an Academy Award.
Across the border too the news was good. A CP report stated that in Canada, BBM preliminary overnight ratings show that 5.7 million Canadians watched the awards. This is not surprising considering that its film The Barbarian Invasions won in the foreign language category. However as with the US the figure was well short of what the 1998 broadcast had received. Nielsen had reported that 6.6 million Canadians tuned in to watch James Cameron being crowned king of the world.
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.
