GOWRI MANICKAVASAGAM
After a successful season 1, Radio City, India’s leading radio network, and Mid-day, Mumbai’s leading tabloid are set to launch the second edition of the Hitlist OTT Awards. The most credible listener choice award recognizes and celebrates the best talent and content available to viewers on India’s OTT platforms.
A month-long transparent voting process launched on 16th January 2021 carries on till 9th February where viewers will pick their favorite talent across 14 categories. Radio City and Mid-day culminated the first edition in 2020, making it the first democratic OTT award to recognize talent across all digital platforms. The event was an instant success with over 1.76 crore people voting for their favorite shows, movies, characters, and writers.
This year’s winners will be announced on 14th February. Radio City and Mid-day’s editorial teams will shortlist the nominees across 14 categories, who will then be judged by an eminent jury and the public. The nominees will be shortlisted across Best Series, Best Actor Male, Best Female for film and series both, Best Ensemble cast, and more. Along with public voting, the winners will also be shortlisted by a team of the internal and external jury which includes well-respected film critic and Mid-day’s entertainment editor MayankShekhar; India’s beloved celebrity and influencer RJ, Salil Acharya, and some established web reviewers. The activity will culminate with a grand finale on 14th February. The virtual awards show will be promoted across platforms including radio, print, digital, and OOH.
Over the next month, all the content Radio City will be inspired by India’s OTT content. The Rag Rag Mein jingle will include a mash-up of dialogues from popular web series, and Radio City RJs will share interesting trivia about shows and encourage listeners to participate in contests and cast their vote. The digizens can vote by logging in to the microsite www.hitlistottawards.com available on Radio City and Mid-day’s social media channels.
Ashit Kukian, CEO, Radio City said, “We are excited to launch the second edition of the Hitlist OTT Awards. India’s OTT platforms, have for a couple of years become an integral part of our lives. They provide us an escape route to an alternate universe, away from the monotony of everyday life. In order to celebrate this entertainment industry and the forces that work tirelessly to make it stand out, we launched this award last year which we are proud to say, has become one of the most credible award show to recognize talent from the OTT space. It gives me immense joy to see how successful this property has become and I hope people continue to shower us with love this year as well. With support from our advertisers, listeners and digizens, we are certain that this property will turn into a legacy. I wish all the nominees good luck. May the best talent win.”
With easy access to smartphones and cellular networks, the world of OTT is evolving every day. According to a report published by Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), 49% of India’s youth spend 2-3 hours a day watching content on an OTT platform and 69% of millennials and GenZ prefer consuming content on an OTT platform over TV.
