IBC Launches IBC2025 Innovation Awards

IBC has launched the IBC2025 Innovation Awards, which recognise pioneering advances in technology and social impact in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry – with nominations now open.

The awards celebrate outstanding achievements across five categories: Content Creation, Content Distribution, Content Everywhere, Social Impact, and Environment & Sustainability.

Entries are open for projects, programmes and initiatives that exemplify innovation, collaboration and positive change. The deadline for entries is midnight on Friday 30 May. The winners' reception will take place on Sunday 14 September at the RAI Amsterdam.​

"The IBC Innovation Awards remain crucial for recognition of pivotal industry advances at a time of significant uncertainty and turbulence in the global M&E ecosystem," says Fergal Ringrose, Chair of the IBC Innovation Awards Jury. "These awards highlight the myriad ways industry pioneers are reshaping media through technological and social progress. We look forward to showcasing the spirit of cooperation and creative accomplishments that positively impact both the businesses involved and the broader industry."

The Innovation Awards’ three technology categories honour completed projects of any size that have overcome real-world creative, operational or commercial challenges through solutions that demonstrate inventiveness and collaboration among end users and technology partners. The social impact categories recognise innovative initiatives and campaigns that are making a difference within the industry in terms of social advancement and equality, or environmental responsibility and sustainability. For consideration, successful projects must have been completed between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025.

The winners of the 2024 IBC Innovation Awards were:
In Content Creation, Olympic Broadcasting Services and partners for live broadcast production with more than 200 smartphones contributing video for the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony and a sea-based 5G network for sailing competitions in Marseille.
In Content Distribution, the National Hockey League, in partnership with Verizon, AWS, Zixi, Vizrt, Net Insight and Evertz, for producing a 5G and Edge compute framework for assembly, control and delivery of live broadcasts.

In Content Everywhere, LaLiga for working with Play Anywhere and Ease Live to enable true fan interactivity for itself and its worldwide broadcast and streaming partners.
In Social Impact, Sesame Workshop for its Watch Play Learn Distribution Hub, which allows government agencies and aid organisations to preview and request videos for children in crisis settings.

In Environment & Sustainability, France Télévisions for reducing CO2 emissions by 300 tons via a pioneering 100% glass-to-glass cloud production and private 5G network, as it broadcast a 24/7 channel providing coverage of the Olympic Torch Relay for Paris 2024.

Joining the 2025 IBC Awards Jury is Jenny Priestley, Content Director of TVBEurope, who brings a wealth of experience and insight to the evaluation process. She joins the judging panel of industry professionals that, in addition to Ringrose, also includes Vijaya Cherian, Managing Partner at CPI Trade Media; Christine Gebhard, Managing Editor, Film, TV, Video; Carolyn Giardina, Senior Entertainment Technology & Crafts Editor, Variety; Heather McLean, Editor at Sports Video Group (SVG) Europe; and Mike Short, former First Chief Scientific Adviser at the UK Department for International Trade.

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