IBC reveals shortlist for its Innovation and Social Impact Awards

All the winners will be announced in a unique, digital-first online presentation on Monday 5 September at 16.00 BST, with trophies presented at a special networking event, onsite at IBC on Sunday evening, 11 September.

Dick Hobbs, Executive Producer of IBC Awards and Chair of the Innovation Awards Jury, said: “Seeing the best of what our industry can achieve, the IBC Awards always point to the current high spots, where technology and creativity meet audience expectations and global concerns. This year’s Innovation Awards see a lot of really engaging augmented reality production, and the Social Impact Awards show the industry coming together to create a more equitable, more stable world – and one in which the media industry can continue to play a key role.”

There are three categories in the Innovation Awards. This year’s shortlist of the most prestigious projects in content creation are:

• Expo Dubai and its beautiful Xplorer cross-reality experience for real and virtual visitors
• Green Planet AR, an immersive experience inside the incredible world of plants
• Alter Ego, a Fox singing competition in which the contestants all appear live as avatars.

In content distribution, the finalists are:

• Oracle Red Bull Racing and its fan engagement at the launch of its 2022 Formula 1 car
• Imperial War Museums, finding new ways to make the million items in its collection accessible by all
• SuperSport Schools in South Africa, bringing school sport to a wider audience, increasing participation and developing talent.

The three finalists in apps for content everywhere take us back to augmenting the media experience:

• BT Sport, using 5G to add data-driven graphics to live action at the event
• PGA Tour AR, giving fans an immersive and engaging experience through a near real-time augmented reality app
• Sky Sports, which has added to the fun and engagement of The Hundred cricket competition with avatars of the top players.

IBC introduced awards for social impact in 2019. Chair of the judges is Ade Rawcliffe. “We were overwhelmed by the depth and quality of this year’s entries – congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered,” she said.

“The quality of the finalists from around the world is testament to the importance of social impact to many businesses and creative companies,” Rawcliffe explained. “It is no longer just a ‘nice to have’ but an essential part of any company strategy. Given the platform we in the media have, it is our responsibility to drive societal change, create more equitable and inclusive societies, and encourage sustainable behaviours.”

Again, there are three categories, with two finalists in the first, social impact:

• Paramount, for its bold stance in celebrating LGBTQ+ rights while hosting the 2021 MTV EMAs in Hungary
• Ethekwini Filmmakers Association, which encourages new creative talent in KwaZulu- Natal and across South Africa.

For advances in diversity and inclusion, the shortlist is:

• Learning to Sign Together, the EQ4ALL project to help deaf children born into hearing families
• Break the Codes, a Belgian initiative focusing on the challenges women have in making an impact in the technology sector
• Rise Up Academy, aiming to inspire, educate and inform young people about the opportunities available in media technology.
• RAMPD, the coalition for Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities.

The finalists for environment and sustainability projects are:

• Sky Sports for Game Zero, a Premier League football match with full television coverage and net zero carbon impact
• WaterBear, supported by Nikon, an interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of the planet
• SmartFM, advances in transmitter technology to reduce power consumption and CO2 output by 40%.

“The IBC Awards are very much an integral part of the whole IBC experience, reflecting and celebrating the opportunities for creative, business and technical teams to get together and look to how they can deliver excellence,” said Hobbs. “This year we have stunning finalists in all these categories, and I am excited to be able to congratulate them all in person in Amsterdam this September.”

The IBC Awards programme also includes recognition of the best technical paper in the conference, prizes for best stand design in the exhibition, and other awards. The most prestigious prize is the IBC International Honour for Excellence, which goes to an individual or organisation which has made an outstanding impact over an extended period of time. Previous winners of the International Honour for Excellence include Sir David Attenborough, movie directors Ang Lee and Peter Jackson, and the creator of Sesame Street Joan Ganz Cooney.