Synopsis: Living up to its reputation, ‘Duologue with Barun Das’ has done it again by winning the Best Talk Show award at the IWMBuzz Digital Awards, India’s Biggest OTT and Web Entertainment Awards.
News9 Plus, the world’s first OTT news platform, won the Most Promising OTT Platform Award, making it the first news OTT platform to join the list of winners.
Barun Das, the MD and CEO of TV9 Network, India’s largest television news network, has been conferred with the ‘Best Talk Show’ award at the prestigious IWMBuzz Digital Awards 2023, for the second year in a row. Known as a titan of the media industry who revolutionised the news business with disruptive ideas and a commitment towards innovation, Barun Das brings the same attitude to the role of host in ‘Duologue with Barun Das’, a genre-defining talk show.
The IWMBuzz Digital Awards have made their mark as the defining event awarding excellence in the OTT and web entertainment paces. Now in its sixth season, the awards ceremony has once again set a new benchmark with its esteemed jury honouring the finest talent from the industry. The jury included actresses Celina Jaitley and Madhoo, actor Anand Desai, adguru Bharat Dabholkar, film producer Goldie Bhel, former CEO of Colours Raj Nayak, and former journalist and entrepreneur Anurag Batra, to name a few.
“This is the second year that IWMBuzz has conferred me with an honour, and I’m privileged to be here among these esteemed ladies and gentlemen. We have ventured into the creation of traditional OTT content as well, in Studio 9, our production vertical. It’s my sincere hope that next year, TV9 Network will be recognised in categories that celebrate our new productions,” said Mr. Barun Das, while receiving the award.
The award ceremony took place on 3rd June in Mumbai, where luminaries from the television and over-the-top (OTT) space dazzled on the red carpet. The awards night was graced by Kajol, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Mandira Bedi, Raashii Khanna, Jackie Shroff, Tisca Chopra, Mona Singh, Sushmita Sen, Adah Sharma, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Karan Singh Grover, Manoj Bajpayee, and Ronit Roy.
Duologue earned a special place in the evening with the honours bestowed on its second season. Through the new season of ‘Duologue’, Barun Das has engaged in conversations with major thought leaders and celebrities, including Telugu megastar Allu Arjun, legendary football keeper Oliver Kahn, Indo-American author Deepak Chopra, Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, and prominent filmmaker Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra.
Siddhartha Laik, founder and editor-in-chief of IWMBuzz, said, “At IWMBuzz, it is our duty to recognize and celebrate the trailblazers of the digital landscape. ‘Duologue with Barun Das’ and News9 Plus exemplify the innovation and excellence we aim to honour. Mr. Barun Das is known for his transformative leadership in the media industry, and it is his vision that is revolutionizing the way we look at news today.”
The first season of ‘Duologue with Barun Das’ also received top honours from reputed institutions, such as at the prestigious AFAQS Future of News 2022 awards ceremony, where the show’s outstanding design and packaging earned it the coveted ‘Best Set Design Silver’ Award. The show also won the editorial choice ‘Best Talk Show’ award at the News Television Awards in 2023.
Barun Das continues to disrupt the media landscape in his role as MD and CEO of TV9 Network, his visionary approach having led to the creation of News9 Plus, the world’s first news OTT platform, and News9 Live, India’s only digital-exclusive English news livestream, which together with News9Live.com form the three pillars of the News9 Mediaverse. In his latest endeavour, Barun Das has also steered TV9 Network towards the task of promoting the beautiful game of football in India, and has partnered with German football institutes such as the DFB, Bundesliga, India Football Centre, International Football Institute, Borussia Dortmund, Riespo, and Strykerlabs to launch India’s largest youth football talent hunt.