Digital Cinema Media Awards 2023 Opens for Entries

The DCM Awards are back and open for entries.

The Digital Cinema Media Awards, held in partnership with Campaign, are back for their seventh year, which celebrate and reward the best strategic use of the cinema medium and work created by the media industry in the past year.

The competition, now open for entries, consists of seven award categories, including one overall Grand Prix prize for the most effective and forward-thinking campaign chosen by the judging panel. This was won by Disney+ The Walking Dead and Publicis Imagine in 2022 for their ‘Frighteningly Good: How Disney+ Jump Started Their 18+ Audience’ cinema campaign, which utilised gold spot ad placements and bespoke content created by DCM Studios to get maximum impact in front of a target 16-34 audience. 

The competition continues to expand, and this year DCM has introduced two new categories to recognise the ways advertisers are utilising creativity in cinema, as well as how cinema can have an impact as part of longer-term brand-building strategies.

Last year’s ‘Talent’ award has also been renamed to ‘Cinema champion of the year’ to open up recognition for both individuals or agency teams dedicated to championing smart-planning for the cinema medium.

In 2023, the full list of award categories are as follows:

– Best use of cinema (small)

– Best use of cinema (large)

– NEW – Best use of creativity in cinema

– Best ‘marketing for good’ cinema campaign

– NEW – Best long-term use of cinema

– Cinema champion of the Year

– GRAND PRIX

Once again, DCM and Campaign have assembled an esteemed panel of industry experts to judge the entries, with key figures across the industry represented, as well as members of the company’s in-house leadership team. The 2023 judging panel will be chaired by Maisie McCabe, UK Editor, Campaign and includes:

- Bhavesh Patel, Director of Media – UK & Europe, Sky

- Clare Chapman, CEO, Carat UK

- Davina Barker, Sales Director, Digital Cinema Media

- Enyi Nwosu, Chief Strategy Officer, UM London

- James Shoreland, CEO, UK & Ireland, Initiative

- John Marshall, Founder, Running Total Media

- Karen Stacey, CEO, Digital Cinema Media

- Kelly Parker, Chief Executive Officer, Wavemaker

- Nadine Young, CEO, Starcom

- Neil Harrison, Head of Media, Virgin Media O2 Brand & Marketing

- Pete Edwards, CEO, Spark Foundry

- Satin Reid, Chief Operating Officer, EssenceMediacomX

- Victoria Bickle, Managing Director, mSix&Partners

Karen Stacey, CEO, DCM, said: “All eyes are back on the big screen and quite rightly so! Exclusive theatrical exhibition is front-and-centre once again while box office records continue to be smashed. Allied to this, the cinema environment has never been more relevant, offering a powerful, undistracted and trusted environment for brands.

“We expect the seventh annual Digital Cinema Media Awards to once again attract a record number of entries which showcase the best strategic use of the cinema medium and why it is an intrinsic part of brands’ AV schedules. I urge all cinema advertisers to enter their brilliant work so we can celebrate the best of the best on the big screen.”

The awards are free to enter and the closing date for submissions is Friday 14 July. The judging will take place on Wednesday 6 September and the winners will be announced on Wednesday 20 September at a red-carpet ceremony at BAFTA. Prizes include a red-carpet experience for four people and a cinema screen-time campaign to the value of £100,000.*

For more details, or to register for updates, hints and tips, go to www.dcm.co.uk/awards or email awards@dcm.co.uk.

*To be used in Q1 2024. No barter. Production not included. Limited to 30” copy. All subject to DCM approval.