The 2023 ContentAsia Awards has 24 categories*
• Programme entries have to have been created in Asia and premiered (on air or streamed for the first time) in Asia between 15 April 2022 and midnight (SG/HK/MY time) on 14 April 2023.
• The entry deadline is midnight on 15 April 2023. Finalists will be announced by end July and the winners will be announced during an on-ground event in Bangkok. The ceremony will be live-streamed on Facebook on Thursday 24 August 2023.
CATEGORIES
Best Drama Series/Telefilm made for a Single Market in Asia
This category focuses on drama created for a specific market in Asia. Entries will be judged on their relevance and suitability for the one specific market for which the programme was made.
Best Asian Drama for a Regional or International Market
This category is for drama programming made in Asia for more than a single market in the region, or for a regional or international/global audience. Entries will be judged for their regional/universal themes and qualities. Episodes have to be a minimum of 24 minutes (30 broadcast minutes) long.
Best TV Format Adaptation (Scripted) in Asia
This category is for scripted formats (Asian adaptations of dramas from any market within Asia or international) adapted for audiences in Asia, whether for a specific market in Asia or for multiple markets across the Asia region.
Best TV Format Adaptation (Unscripted) in Asia
This category is for non-scripted formats (local or international) adapted for audiences in Asia, whether for a specific market in Asia or for multiple markets across the Asia region. The category also covers the original versions of non-scripted formats made in Asia, but the format HAS to have been sold to a third party beyond the network/studio for which it was developed.
Best Male Lead in a TV Programme
This one is for male leads (or leads who identify as male) who make us forget they’re acting, who are able to make the divide between fact and fiction irrelevant. Whoever they are off-screen falls away physically and emotionally in service of the character they are playing.
Best Female Lead in a TV Programme/Series
An award for female leads (or leads who identify as female) who make us forget they’re acting, who are able to make the divide between fact and fiction irrelevant. Whoever they are off-screen falls away physically and emotionally in service of the character they are playing.
NEW CATEGORY Best Supporting Actor in a TV Programme/Series
This one is for male actors (or actors who identify as male) with a substantial role in a TV programme or series.
NEW CATEGORY Best Supporting Actress in a TV Programme/Series
This one is for female actors (or actors who identify as female) with a substantial role in a TV programme or series.
Best Director of a Scripted TV Programme
Asked about the qualities of a great director, one of our favourite programming people told us this: “If you care about something in a film, it’s because the director made you”. And then there are the million+ opinions out there about directing, from known directors talking about their craft to less-known artists with a nice turn of phrase. This is one of our favourites: “A great director gives life to a work of art, gives it a heartbeat… a pulse… opens its eyes to the world.” It’s from the writer A.D. Posey, and he said it better than we could. That’s what we’re going for in this category. Over to you…
Best Asian Telemovie/Feature Film
This category is for made-in-Asia films/telefilms aired for the first time on broadcast/streaming platforms between 15 April 2022 and midnight (SG/HK/MY time) on 14 April 2023.
Best Asian Talk Show
In the grand spirit of Trevor Noah, John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Oprah, Ellen plus Asia’s own talk-meisters… we are looking for full-length Asian talk shows that entertain or inform – or both. Like all of our Awards categories, we don’t care where the show airs/streams or plays as long as it’s long-form (min 23 mins-24 mins) and not a TikTok or social media clip.
Best Asian Original Game Show
Games shows are as old as television itself, and here’s where we honour the made-in-Asia programmes that carry on the tradition of contestants competing to win a prize, be it via a quiz, a skill or just sheer staying power in full-length game-show episodes.
Best Asian LGBTQ+ Programme
… because diversity is important to us. And yes, it’s a political statement (isn’t everything?) but that’s a discussion for another place and another time. For now, we want programmes made in Asia that deal with LGBTQ+ themes, story lines and characters. The judging criteria are less about genre than what the judges think about the ability of the programme to connect with a broad and diverse audience across gender, culture and geographic boundaries.
Best Asian Comedy Programme
For the stuff that makes us laugh aloud. In the spirit of being platform agnostic, we don’t care where or how the show was distributed, as long as it’s not a single clip or (as funny as these can be) or a random capture of a win/fail. We’re looking for great funny stories with a beginning, a middle and an end, with clever characters and humorous plots.
Best Asian Short-form drama/series (<20 mins per episode)
This one is for the generation of creators who transcends traditional constraints of half-hours or 60 mins. We don’t care if your series is branded/sponsored (or not) BUT, if it is branded, the entry should be an episode with a great story that happens to be sponsored rather than an obvious attempt by a brand to “engage”, “tell a story”, “be digital”, or whatever the jargon-of-the-moment is. This is definitely not the place for long-form one-off advertising (ie. cute stories from banks trying to persuade you to trust them, etc).
Best Factual Programme Made in Asia for a Single Asian Market
Factual is as factual does: true stories, real information, honest as possible (with disclosure for recreation and re-enactment), designed around true events, real situations, actual people, animals or the natural world. The category does not include “based on the true story of…” series, where the plot is inspired by real events but has been completely recreated for dramatic effect. Nor does it include factual entertainment (see Best Factual Entertainment category).
Best Factual Programme Made in Asia for Multiple Asian and/or International Markets
For obvious reasons, including focus/relevance/scale/budget, we’ve separated factual programmes made for regional or global markets from those primarily targeting single Asia markets. But the requirements remain the same: true stories, real information, honest as possible (with disclosure for recreation and re-enactment), designed around true events, real situations, actual people, animals or the natural world. The category does not include “based on the true story of…” series, where the plot is inspired by real events but has been adjusted significantly for dramatic effect. Nor does it include factual entertainment (see Best Factual Entertainment category).
Best Factual Entertainment Programme Produced for a Single Asia Market
A category for original dating shows, cooking, travel, social experiment, DIY/makeover shows… in short, anything with real people showing us how to do stuff or dealing with situations viewers might learn from. There’s a different category – Best TV Format Adaptation (Non-scripted) – for factual entertainment programmes based on a format from Asia or abroad.
Best Factual Entertainment Programme Made in Asia for Multiple Asian and/or International Markets
A category for original dating shows, cooking, travel, social experiment, DIY/makeover shows… in short, anything with real people showing us how to do stuff or dealing with situations viewers might learn from. There’s a different category – Best TV Format Adaptation (Non-scripted) – for factual entertainment programmes based on a format from Asia or abroad.
Best Current Affairs Programme Made in Asia for a Single Market in Asia
This category is for everything from Covid-19 to social issues, cultural affairs, political analysis and/or crime exposes… programmes that take audiences beyond the headlines, untangle complicated situations, lay out the implications of unfolding events. We’re looking for one programme of at least 30 TV minutes (including commercial breaks), or one full episode of a series that delves into a particular issue.
Best Current Affairs Programme Made in Asia for Regional Asia and/or International Markets
We’ve separated current affairs made for a single Asia market from those made for multiple regional and/or international markets, again because this better recognises the difference in scale and focus. This category covers everything from post-pandemic economies to social issues, cultural affairs, political analysis, crime exposes… In short, programmes that take audiences beyond the headlines, untangle complicated situations, lay out the implications of unfolding events. We’re looking for one programme of at least 30 TV minutes (including commercial breaks), or one full episode of a series that delves into a particular issue.
Best Kids TV Programme Made in Asia
We’ve come a long way from Steamboat Willie and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… this category recognises today’s best storytelling and entertainment, animated or not, aimed at people under the age of 13. Entries will be judged on the quality of the storytelling and the show’s entertainment value.
Best Original Song for an Asian TV Series/Programme or Movie
Songs make or break… here’s where we gather the best songs created for TV shows or movies in Asia. Judging criteria will be how the song enhances the production’s theme and mood, whether judges think it might be able to live on beyond the TV show/movie. Think Rocky’s “Eye of the Tiger”, Titanic’s “My Heart Will Go On”, Mavis Hee’s “Moonlight in the City”…
NEW CATEGORY Best Sound Design for an Asian TV Programme/Series
We are celebrating 2023 by adding three categories to this year’s Awards. Best Sound Design for made-in-Asia originals is among them. Why now? Because, you asked. And we’ve never been afraid to try new things.
* IMPORTANT NOTES
• Full details are available at the entry/judging platform here.
• Programme entries have to have been created in Asia and premiered (on air or streamed) in Asia between 15 April 2022 and midnight (SG/HK/MY time) on 14 April 2023.
• The entry deadline is midnight on 15 April 2023. Nominees will be announced by mid-August and the winners will be announced on Thursday, 24 August 2023.
• Each entry for TV series should be one episode. We would love to see your entire series at some point (and we probably already have) but we want you to choose your best episode for the particular category.
• The original version of the programme as broadcast/streamed must be submitted. Please don’t edit for our benefit! All we want by way of adjustment from the original version are English-language subtitles. You can also edit out commercials and promos.
• A great synopsis is critical. Make it short, maximum 450 words. Judges have a lot to get through; they aren’t going to read the entire script to figure out where and how your episode fits into the story. Separately, feel free to upload an episode breakdown if you would like to; if any of the judges want extra info, this is where they will find it.
• In addition to your video entry, the entry platform will prompt you to upload a selection of still images for editorial use in ContentAsia’s magazines and newsletters. Please include captions and image credits.
For details, please register here
ContentAsia Awards 