Recognising excellence and celebrating creativity are the key drivers of the fourteenth Awards to be held on 19th October in the Culloden Hotel. Launched today (16th May) the PANI Awards will feature five core categories including television, radio, outdoor, press and digital with specialisms identified within each sector. The contribution of media owners will also be recognised across two dedicated categories.

New for 2017 is the addition of a social media award with the Digital Advertising category and Magazines. Also new is an award recognising the best mixed media campaign reflecting a creative idea of strategy integrated across a number of media channels.

Speaking at the launch, Chair of PANI Siobhan Lavery said:

“Our key aim at PANI is to promote excellence across all elements of the publicity, marketing and the wider media industries. By doing this collectively we are continually raising the bar and improving the quality of the creative community The PANI Awards are an excellent way of celebrating and rewarding the resultant achievements in all areas of production and creativity and we would urge our colleagues across Northern Ireland to submit their inventive and successful campaigns.”

The judging panel, chaired by Billy Mawhinney, Creative Director WJPM, London, will comprise another ten highly experienced and eminent advertising executives from throughout the UK and Ireland.

PANI Awards Chair Nuala Meenehan added,

“As we celebrate excellence it is fitting that our Awards theme features some of the greatest icons of the advertising industry. From Saatchi to Ogilvy these ‘greats’ have led the way and set standards to which we can all aspire. I would contend that there are already numerous local campaigns to rival those on the international stage and as Chair of these Awards I will be very proud to showcase them at our gala event in October.

“This year’s awards are kindly sponsored by Channel 4, Independent News and Media, Mirror Media, The Irish News, Clear Channel, Exterion Media, JCDecaux, Q Radio, Bauer Media Cool FM, Downtown Radio, DTR Country, U105, Alexander Boyd Displays, Ulster Tatler Group and UTV. I am most grateful to all the category sponsors for enabling us to deliver these Awards and for their ongoing support to PANI. It is now over to our local creative industry to seize this opportunity to have their work recognised and applauded.”

The PANI Awards website will go live to receive entries from Monday 5th June 2017 with the closing date for submissions being midnight on Sunday 13th August 2017.