Mediacorp named TV Network of the Year at Cannes TV Awards

SINGAPORE: Mediacorp was named TV network of the year at Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards on the back of four wins - two gold and two silver awards - by CNA, the company's global news brand.

The top honour caps an awards hat-trick for Mediacorp, following its Broadcaster of the Year wins at both the World Media Festivals and New York Festivals TV & Film earlier this year.

Mediacorp doubled its tally of two wins at the Cannes awards from last year.

"The accolades mark another milestone in a standout year of international recognition for Mediacorp, reflecting the growing global resonance of its storytelling and its commitment to bringing compelling stories and distinctive Asian perspectives to audiences around the world," the company said in a media release on Friday (Sep 25).

Mediacorp's Editor-in-Chief Walter Fernandez said: “Being named TV Network of the Year and winning the Blue Dolphin at the prestigious Cannes television awards is a tremendous global honour for Mediacorp.

"This recognition on the back of being named Broadcaster of the Year at both the World Media Festivals in Berlin and again at the New York Festivals earlier this year, completes an unprecedented hat-trick of international recognition in a single year," he said.

The Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards celebrate excellence in corporate films, online media and documentaries from around the world, recognising outstanding storytelling and craftsmanship.

CNA’s four documentary wins went to One “Orphan” Every Hour (Gold Dolphin), Walk the Line: ICE Nation (Gold Dolphin), Chiang Kai-shek: Shadow Across the Strait (Silver Dolphin) and The Mark of Empire: Kingdoms of the Sea (Silver Dolphin).

"These four international awards are testament to the world-class quality of craft and content produced by the CNA teams and their production partners. More importantly the wins recognise the distinctive strengths of CNA on the global stage," Mr Fernandez said.

"Its ability to bring an Asian perspective to major global stories through in-depth and independent reporting. And its commitment to identify and investigate impactful Asian stories – even if they are controversial – for a global audience."

Spanning history, culture, politics and pressing social issues, the four winning documentaries demonstrate the breadth of the company's factual storytelling and its commitment to bringing important stories and Asian perspectives to wider audiences, Mediacorp said.

"With intimate access to migrants facing the dramatic immigration changes in the United States, ICE Nation goes beyond the political debate to examine the human consequences," Mr Fernandez said.

"Chiang Kai-shek: Shadow Across the Strait explores not just his contested legacy but also the contrasting treatment of his legacy on either side of the Taiwan Strait. 

"One “Orphan” Every Hour breaks the mould of traditional reporting on the international adoption of Korean children by scrutinising the role and accountability of others involved including Western governments, religious organisations, and adoption agencies," Mr Fernandez said.

A fifth CNA documentary, Bones of Contention, which was produced by Elefant Films, also received a Finalist Diploma in the “Environment, Ecology and Sustainability” category.

"These awards are the adrenaline that drives the CNA newsroom to inform, engage and have an impact on its audiences every day," Mr Fernandez said.

Viewers can catch the award-winning documentaries on mewatch and across CNA's platforms.