The inspiring tale of a Mumbai rickshaw driver who, at 74 is his family’s sole breadwinner, is among the highlights from this year’s South Asian Digital Media Awards.

Desraj Jyot Singh’s story, Life in an Auto won the best use of online video award for The Quint. In the video he tells how he sleeps in his auto to maximise what he can send to his children and grandchildren.

The Quint also won silver and bronze (as BloombergQuint) in the ‘best news website’ category, in which Malayala Manorama’s manoramaonline.com scored its third successive win.

The fifth annual competition – presented by WAN-Ifra – attracted 140 entries, almost twice as many as in 2020. It recognises South Asian publishers who have delivered unique and original digital media projects in the last 12 months, from new approaches to digital subscriptions to impactful native advertising campaigns. Gold’ winners are automatically entered in the World Digital Media Awards competition. 

Among other winners were The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Mojo Story, NDTV Convergence, Times of India Digital and Sakal.

The winners are:

Best News Website (or) Mobile Service

• Gold: Manoramaonline.com, Malayala Manorama
• Silver: thequint.com, The Quint
• Bronze: bloombergquint.com, Quintillion Business Media Pvt. Ltd.

Best Use of Online Video

• Gold: Life in an Auto: The Inspiring Story of 74-year-old Sole Breadwinner, Desraj Jyot Singh, The Quint
• Silver: Girls on a Mission, People Like Us Create (PLUC)
• Bronze: A Night at India’s Largest Farmer’s Protest, BBC News

Best Newsletter

• Gold: Times TOP 10, Times of India Digital 
• Silver: The India Cable, Foundation for Independent Journalism
• Bronze: Here’s the thing – Weekly Members-only Newsletter, Spunklane Media Pvt. Ltd.

Best Data Visualisation

• Gold: West Bengal Elections 2021, NDTV Convergence
• Silver: COVID-19 Pandemic: Full Coverage, NDTV Convergence
• Bronze: Kerala Assembly Election 2021, The Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co. Ltd.

Best Reader Revenue Initiative

• Gold: HT Codeathon, Hindustan Times
• Silver: Support The Wire, Foundation for Independent Journalism
• Bronze: Freedom Sale 2021 – The Hindu Group, The Hindu

Best in Audience Engagement

• Gold: Bring Back Milk Bikis Campaign, The Hindu
• Silver: Teen Goshti, BBC News
• Silver: Kissan Protein Champs – Knowledge Series & Brain-teasing Activities, The Hindu
• Bronze: Njanoru Naran, M M Publications Ltd. (Vanitha)

Best Podcast / Digital Audio Project

• Gold: Sakalchya Batmya / Daily Sakal News, Sakal Media Group
• Silver: Club FM Cinema Katha, The Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co. Ltd.
• Bronze: Vivechana, BBC News 

Best Brand Marketing Campaign (for News Brands)

• Gold: Doctor’s Day Campaign – Hindustan Times
• Silver: Neel Barir Lorai – Anandabazar Patrika
• Bronze: HT Fresh – First Voice. Last Word. – Hindustan Times

Best Special Project for COVID-19

• Gold: On The Road with the Pandemic: Counting India’s Uncounted COVID Deaths, Mojo Story
• Silver: Hindustan COVID Actions, Hindustan Media Venture Ltd.
• Silver: Covid-specific Jagran Dialogues Series, in Collaboration with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and UNICEF India, Jagran New Media
• Bronze: BBC’s coverage of COVID in India, BBC News

Best Branded / Sponsored Content Campaign

• Gold: Unacademy Let’s Crack CSE, The Hindu 
• Silver: HT Codeathon, Hindustan Times
• Silver: Break the Taboo, The Daily Star
• Bronze: Bring back Milk Bikis, The Hindu
• Bronze: HTLS 2020, Hindustan Times

The entries were judged by an international panel. Winners will receive their awards virtually at the upcoming South Asian Digital Media Awards being held from March 8-10.