The winners for the 2019 Bookmark Awards have been announced! This year, the 11th annual awards, hosted at The Forum, Bryanston, encompassed a record-breaking 76 categories, with over 750 entries. 68 judges assessed the entries based on stringent, results-based criteria, culminating in 142 winners from across the South African digital landscape.
The Bookmarks are a celebration of young, emerging talent in the digital industry. Leon Mwandiringa of Clockwork walked away with the Best Digital Youngster award, while Raphael Janan Kuppasamy and Jenny Groenewald from Vega School were honored as the best digital students.
For the 3rd year in a row, Vega students have won the @iab_sa Bookmark Pixel Award. The 2019 IAB Special Honours Best Digital Student Award went to a Raphael Kuppasamy & Jenny Groenewald.#Bookmarks2019 See their work here: https://t.co/BcLJkHK294#CelebratingDigitalExcellence pic.twitter.com/PUcPPE1pKg
— Vega School (@VegaSchool) March 29, 2019
Transformation was high on the agenda at the awards, with Digify Africa being celebrated for Best Contribution to Transformation in the Digital Industry.
Oh…sis I mention that @DigifyAfrica is multiaward winning now? Yep, last night we bagged our second Transformation Award at #bookmarks2019. If you know the battle we’ve fought in the last year, you’ll know exactly what this means for us. Thank you @iab_sa. https://t.co/nVHfEmTNer
— BlackGold (@Qhakaza) March 29, 2019
Digital education was also emphasised in the award for Best Individual Contribution to Digital, which was won by Carmen Murray, founder of Boo-Yah.
Feeling #chuffed this morning! Still can’t believe I had the privilege to walk away with the award ? of Best Individual Contribution to Digital #bookmarks2019 @iab_sa #happy #excited #digital #mobile #purpose pic.twitter.com/dojHBwxZtX
— Carmen Murray (@CarmenMurraySA) March 29, 2019
Another theme at the awards was creativity with a social conscience, with Mortimer Harvey and the Road Accident Fund awarded the Pixel for Purpose award for their #Always Remember campaign.
Daily Maverick’s Paulie van Wyk walked away with the Best Online Journalist award.
I won the inaugural Special Honours Black Pixel award at #Bookmarks2019 for “best online journalist”.
Thank you to that anonymous person who nominated me, I’m humbled.@AdriaanBasson’s @News24 team @AletJvRens @AlettaHarrison @JerushaRaath also won a Black Pixel.
? Journalism pic.twitter.com/hs8C4LdNtw— Pauli Van Wyk (@PaulivW) March 28, 2019
Click here for the full winners list.
Here are some social media reactions from last night’s awards:
Celebrations all around as https://t.co/7ZceOQySPi walks away with an extraordinary EIGHT 2019 IAB Bookmark Awards! #Bookmarks2019 ???? pic.twitter.com/macpeccpZY
— Jerusha Sukhdeo-Raath (@JerushaRaath) March 29, 2019
Today’s mood, proudly sponsored by #Bookmarks2019. #32Awards #9Campaigns #Sanlam #Netflix #ABInBev #Siemens @KJGroupSA @KJGroupJHB @KJGroupCT pic.twitter.com/ZadHPjI21F
— alistair king (@ALsparkles) March 29, 2019