Content Innovation Awards 2017: the winners revealed

The third annual Content Innovative Awards saw leading companies such as National Geographic, Vice Media, Endemol Shine and ITV Studios winning big.

The glamorous event at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes saw over 200 guests from all parts of the TV content and technology industries joining together to celebrate the most innovative and game-changing firms on the international stage.

Winners of the content categories included National Geographic Europe, which took home the Best Series Launch award for drama-doc Mars and Factual TV Project of the Year gong for Leonardio DiCaprio doc Before the Flood.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment also bagged a pair of awards, taking home the titles for Breakout International Drama for Victoria and Entertainment Format of the Year for Love Island, which was subsequently commissioned this morning by TV4 in Sweden.

Vice’s push into linear TV was rewarded with the nod for Channel of the Year, specifically for Viceland UK, while Viceland International took home the Best New Venture award.

Elsewhere, Barcroft Media’s Barcroft TV won the YouTube Award and ChannelSculptor’s MENA.TV Content Hub pulled off a surprise to take home the Best Distribution Initiative trophy. Starz Play was among two winners of the OTT TV Service of the Year award, as it was tied with DAZN.

TBI and our sister title Digital TV Europe would like to thank all those who took part, host Clemency Burton-Hill, and to our sponsors, who helped make the night an overwhelming success.

The full list of the winners can be found below

Advanced TV Innovation of the Year

Winner: YouView TV for YouView

Best Distribution Initiative

Winner: ChannelSculptor for MENA.TV Content Hub

Best New Venture

Winner: VICE Media for Viceland International

Best Series Launch of the Year

Winner: National Geographic Europe for Mars

Breakout International Drama

Winner: ITV Studios Global Entertainment for Victoria

Channel of the Year

Winner: VICE Media for Viceland UK

Consumer Premises Equipment Innovation of the Year

Winner: Netgem for SoundBox

Entertainment Format of the Year

Winner: ITV Studios Global Entertainment for Love Island

Factual TV Project of the Year

Winner: National Geographic Europe for Before The Flood

Next Gen Advertising Award

Winner: BT Sport and Yospace for Dynamic Ad Insertion for BT Sport

OTT TV Service of the Year

Winners: DAZN and Starz Play

OTT TV Technology of the Year

Winner: IBM for Content Enrichment

The Multiscreen TV Award

Winner: ACCESS for ACCESS Twine for Reliance Jio Infocomm’s Jio Lifestyle

The Social Engagement Award

Winner: BBC Drama for Sherlock Live

The UX Award

Winner: TiVo for Conversation Services

The YouTube Award

Winner: Barcroft Media for Barcroft TV

TV Service Innovation of the Year

Winner: Conviva for Precision

UHD Initiative of the Year

Winner: CC-Lab for Isle of Wight Festival 2017

Virtual Reality Initiative

Winner: Sky Italia for The Sistine Chapel – an incredible VR experience

Virtual Reality Sports Experience

Winner: Orange for Holotennis

Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner: Christina Jennings, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Shaftesbury

International Content Leader of the Year

Winner: Cathy Payne, Chief Executive Officer, Endemol Shine International