Awards Wrap: Sunday Times Gen Next category finalists revealed, DStv Content Creator Awards winners announced, Pendoring Awards open for entries

The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media industry.

SA’s most talented content creators honoured at inaugural DStv Content Creator Awards

The blue carpet was packed as more than four hundred people arrived to be part of this first-ever awards event. Nominees, celebs, invited guests and sponsors all strutted their stuff down the carpet, rocking the finest threads designed by SA’s celebrity designers. The highlights of the blue carpet included Melanie Bala, Robot Boii, Lasizwe, Bontle and Candice Modiselle, Nadia Jaftha, Donovan Goliath, Kim Jayde, Zanele Potelwa, Banele Ndaba, Chanley Wong, Lasizwe, Roxy Burger, Coconut Kelz, Chad Jones and Tamara Dey.

Broadcast live by Halle B Berry and Dezz Lee on the award’s entertainment platform partner, TikTok, viewers at home got to be in on the action and be the first to see nominees arriving and being interviewed.

Before the start of the show, guests also had plenty of opportunity for selfies and content moments as the event’s sponsors, DStv, Vuse, Netwerk24, Crocs activated outside the venue. From Ayeye moments to 360-glam cams, personalised Crocs and the coolest Vuse chill lounge, what better to set the tone for an epic night ahead.

Hosted by comedian, Loyiso Madinga, the awards brought to life some of the most viewed social media reels and videos in the form of an opening dance piece, choreographed by none other than Bontle Modiselle Dance Studio. This kicked off the show with energy and vibe and included our favourite dances and sounds from the likes of Moghelingz, Khanyisa Jaceni, Robot Boii and Chad Jones.

The awards show, produced by writer and director, Nina Hastie, who also happened to be a nominee for the SOL Best Content Creator Award, featured hilarious spoofs of DStv’s popular reality show, Real Housewives of Cape Town (aka Reel Housewives of DStv Content Creator Awards) which starred awards nominees Nadia Jaftha, Prev Reddy, Cassidy Nicholson, and Nina Hastie. You had to see it to believe it!

The biggest winner of the evening was Nadia Jaftha, who not only bagged the biggest award of the evening, the DStv Content of the Year Award, but also took home the Comedy Award and Thumb-stopping Award.

Here is the full list of winners (in no particular order):

NAB executive director inducted into Radio Awards Hall of Fame

The executive committee of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has congratulated its executive director, Nadia Bulbulia, on being inducted into the South African Radio Awards 2022 Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame inductees are selected from individuals who are nominated by their peers, are revered by the industry and have made an indelible contribution to radio for at least 30 years. Bulbulia has championed the development of a diverse radio sector through policy and regulation since the dawn of democracy – from advocating for radio in education, through positions as researcher, policy analyst and Councillor at the IBA during the ‘freeing the airwaves’ in the 1990s, and later as ICASA Councillor.

She was a member of the inaugural Board of NEMISA in 1998, where she focused on radio training for women, and is currently serving a second term as a board member of the MDDA. She also served on the SABC board and the NFVF. This makes her the only broadcasting industry expert to be appointed by all four State Presidents (since 1994) to serve on public entities that are mandated to develop the broadcasting industry.

Her deep industry understanding and experience has been called on by government and regulators and she has made sure to pass her knowledge on to future generations through mentoring and training numerous broadcasting practitioners.

 “Without doubt, Nadia is a highly deserving Hall of Fame inductee as she’s made an indelible mark on the industry and continues to advocate for a robust and sustainable broadcasting sector,”  said NAB Chairperson, Thabo Makenete. “Having been at the forefront of the transformation of broadcasting in a democratic South Africa, she is rightly regarded as one of the pioneers of broadcasting policy and regulation in our country.”

Nerdware’s Shiko Mamotheti a finalist in 2022 Rising Star Awards

As a young and established digital marketing leader and the director of Nerdware, Shiko Mamotheti has been selected as a finalist in the Media and Advertising category at the upcoming TransUnion Rising Star Awards.

This exciting news follows the TransUnion Rising Star Awards Live Finalists announcement on Friday, 26 August 2022, where Mamotheti was listed amongst the group of four other candidates.

The TransUnion Rising Star Awards is one of the most important awards ceremonies in the era of youth empowerment, recognising the contributions of youth under 40 years of age that are using their dedication and energy to shape the future of South Africa. The ceremony aims to provides a platform for honouring the achievements of young entrepreneurs while unearthing the inspirational leaders of tomorrow.

“I am very proud and humbled to have been chosen as one of the Rising Stars in Media and Advertising,” saidMamotheti.

“Every year we continue to see more positive changes in attitudes towards the empowerment of young leaders and entrepreneurs, and I believe that these awards remain crucial to acknowledging the hard work of the powerful young rising stars in our industry.”

Nerdware is a 100% proudly African, full-service digital agency, with services that bridge the gap between digital marketing and cutting-edge technology. It develops digital experiences that transform brands and grow businesses while delivering unmatched digital innovation with quantifiable results.

Category finalists of the 2022 Sunday Times Gen Next Awards have been announced

The finalists across each of the 69 categories of the 18^th annual Sunday Times GenNext survey have been announced. The winners will be celebrated during an online Awards event on 15 September 2022.

The Sunday Times GenNext survey is considered the leading barometer of what South Africa’s youth find on-trend and aspirational, and delivers insights that are valued by brand management, advertising, and marketing professionals.

The survey conducted by Yellowwood has previously been limited to South African youths between the ages of 8 and 23, but for the third time also includes a sample population of Young Professionals, aged 25 to 30 years. Just short of six thousand youth and young professionals across the country were polled during the 2022 survey period

Eben Gewers, Head of Advertising Sales and Trade Marketing at Arena Holdings – which owns Sunday Times GenNext – says: “The 2022 survey results will serve as the most accurate ‘before’ snapshot of youth brand perception from a pre-lockdown, pre-Covid-19 period. It gives marketers a unique benchmark for measuring attitude shifts that may happen because of the hardships many will face, and how these will shape their spending priorities in a post-lockdown economic recovery period.” 

The survey also recognises youth perception of personal brands of sports and entertainment celebrities. “High profile individuals like sports stars, musicians, and actors play a huge role in youth culture, and it will be very interesting to see which of those celebrated in the 2022 survey results will maintain their good favour and continue to serve as responsible role models during this crucial time for our country,” says Gewers.

Sunday Times Gen Next is presented in association with Yellowwood.

Register to watch the Sunday Times GenNext Awards online, by clicking here.