Digital community seeks Canada’s Digital Personality of the Year, among other accolades
TORONTO, ON – Tuesday July 23, 2013 – nextMEDIA, Canada’s most influential and forward-thinking community of executive-level media professionals, today announced its call for entries for The Digi Awards. The annual showcase features Canada’s most remarkable people, products and companies that are making waves in the digital media space. The Awards will take place at the nextMEDIA conference in Toronto on December 3rd at The Carlu. The Digis recognize the who’s who of Canada’s digital elite and feature some of the brightest stars and biggest changemakers in the Canadian digital media landscape today.
“The Digis continue to recognize top Canadian talent from both the advertising and media sectors,” says Mark Greenspan, Executive Producer of The Digi Awards “As these industries continue to evolve it’s important to recognize the groundbreaking work and people that are shaping the future in both Canada and abroad.”
Past recipients of The Digis have included award-winning recording artists K-OS, Down With Webster and have included an entertaining roster of hosts including Gian Ghomeshi, Ben Mulroney and Epic Mealtime’s Harley Morenstein. This year’s line-up is expected to draw a full house yet again with an action-packed line-up of some of Canada’s hottest trend-makers and host Arisa Cox of Big Brother Canada.
The Digis competition offers a diverse roster over 20 categories for applicants to submit entries, including two new free categories to enter, including Digital Personality of the Year and Graduate of the Year, which is an opportunity to reflect the emerging talent in the industry. The nextMEDIA community will also have a voice in propelling a company, project or executive to become a finalist in the 2013 Digi Awards by voting for their favourite entry. For the full list of categories, please see below or visit the nextMEDIA website.
The Digi Awards 2013 Categories:
Company of the Year
Awarded to groundbreaking Canadian companies that have leveraged digital technologies to push the envelope and deliver profits. Eligible companies must have generated a minimum of $2M in revenue in the past year.
Most Promising Company of the Year
This category recognizes Canada’s top emerging digital companies that have shown they have what it takes to launch a successful digital business. Entries will have to demonstrate the potential of their company through the team they built, their product and the traction they have gotten in their first year of business. Eligible companies are those with under $2M revenue in the past year.
Executive of the Year
This Executive will have led their organization to achieve new digital heights during the past year. They have a strategy, a team and a winning plan which they were able to execute to achieve stellar results.
Digital Personality of the Year (free entry)
Do you have a Youtube following that we would all be envious of? Does your soundcloud account make us jump for joy? Maybe your Instagram followers can’t get enough of you. Do your blog post rack up comments and get retweeted everywhere? If so, you will probably qualify for the online personality of the year.
Graduate of the Year (free entry)
This recent graduate has demonstrated a natural propensity towards the digital medium and will undoubtedly go places. Keep an eye out for these graduates as they will most likely end up being our bosses.
Best in Branded Entertainment
Marketing initiatives that demonstrate excellence in harnessing the power of content to make a meaningful impact for a brand with a consumer audience. Submissions could include long form and short form video content, editorial content and audio content. Entries will be judged on the quality of the content and integration of the advertisers message into the initiative.
Best in Canadian Culture
This category recognizes the top Canadian cultural products that use the digital medium in the most effective way. These cultural products will offer an innovative exploration of our country’s history, culture, political landscape or place in the world.
Best in E-Learning
This category recognizes the top Canadian learning products that best use the digital medium to improve a learner’s skill or knowledge in any subject area while offering a high-quality user experience that is as innovative as it is effective. Two awards will be given out in this category; one for educational groups and one for corporates.
Best in Cross-Platform Fiction
Excellence in the interactive enhancement of a television sitcom, comedy, drama or other genre of scripted entertainment across digital platforms. Eligible projects could include a combination of games, websites, mobile and social applications associated with a television program.
Best in Cross-Platform Kids
Excellence in the interactive enhancement of a television property across digital platforms for audiences 13 and younger. Eligible projects could include a combination of games, websites, mobile and social applications associated with a television program.
Best in Cross-Platform Non-Fiction
Excellence in the interactive enhancement of a television sitcom, comedy, drama or other genre of scripted entertainment across digital platforms. Eligible projects could include a combination of games, websites, mobile and social applications associated with a television program.
Best in Interactive Advertising
This category will recognize excellence in marketing initiatives that leverage the digital medium to connect a brand with target consumers. Entries could include a combination of social media, mobile, digital outdoor, programmatic media buying and native ad formats but are not limited to these forms. Entries will be judged on the originality of the initiative, it’s use of the digital medium(s) and the results of the initiative.
Best in Mobile Gaming
Innovative games created by Canadian developers specifically for the mobile. Entries may include tablet or handset games on a variety of operating systems. Submissions will be judged on originality and excellence in game design, how effective they have harnessed the mobile medium and the overall popularity of the game.
Best in Mobility
This category will recognize excellence in initiatives that harness the mobile medium. Entries can include tablet and mobile apps as well as responsive websites. Entries will be judged on the initiative of the ability to harness the mobile medium to deliver a unique and original experience. Entries will also be judged on the popularity or potential popularity of the initiative.
Best in Online Gaming
Innovative games created by Canadian developers specifically for the web. Entries may include games with either single or multiplayer experiences, demonstrating originality and excellence in game design, with the potential to engage gamers globally in a unique online experience.
Best in Web Series Fiction
Excellence in the development of a scripted online or mobile first serial production.
Best in Web Series Non-Fiction
Excellence in the development of a non-scripted online or mobile first serial production.
About nextMEDIA
nextMEDIA is Canada’s most influential and forward-thinking community of executive-level media professionals working in the digital space. We bring together the leading international players, platforms, services and consultants who are actively evolving the media landscape in the areas of advertising, media and publishing. For more information about nextMEDIA, please visit our website at: http://www.nextmediaevents.com/toronto/
About The Digi Awards
The Digi Awards are Canada’s premier showcase of the remarkable digital media companies, projects, products and pioneers that are putting Canada at the forefront of the international mediascape. The Digi Awards are a new kind of awards program – one designed to capture the breadth and scale of the ground-breaking work coming out of Canada and bringing it together in one place. For more information about The Digi Awards, please visit our website at: http://www.nextmediaevents.com/toronto/the-digis.php