M-Net's annual Vuka! Awards honouring the best in public service TV adverts in South Africa once again bestowed trophies onto deserving commercials with Egg Films and Ogilvy Johannesburg's amazing ''Selinah'' advert about HIV/Aids and the benefit of antiretroviral drugs scooping 6 awards in total including winning the professional category.
The Vuka! Awards held earlier this evening at the Theatre on the Track in Kyalami saw the film and advertising industry gather for the 11th Vuka! Awards to honour the year's best commercials for charities and public causes. ''Thanks for giving a little bit of heart and a lot of love to charities out there,'' said presenter Kabelo ''KB'' Ngakane. ''Thanks for holding up a mirror about all the crazy things we're doing.''
And crazy things this year's Vuka! Awards entries (116 in total and up from 67 last year) did indeed address. Commercials ranged in scope from HIV/Aids, xenophobia, a lack of South Africa history under the youth (to promote the Apartheid Museum), discrimination, drunk driving, animal cruelty, missing children and abuse against women. ''Without M-Net most of the public service announcements (PSA's) you see simply won't exist,''said Kabelo Ngakane.
These commercials will be shown on M-Net and DStv across Africa over the next year. ''The Vuka! Awards is designed to give support to worthy causes,'' said Patricia Scholtemeyer, M-Net CEO. ''It gives all creative souls the opportunity to use the essence of our business and the powerful medium of television.'' Patricia Scholtemeyer said more needs to be done to foster growth in PSA's development and creation. ''Expert mentorship and skills transfer is important and we call on the industry, and we [M-Net] will also do so ourselves to give support.''
