Paris, September 21, 2023 – MIPCOM CANNES announced today the nominations for the 2023 Diversify TV Awards and provided further details about this year's awards ceremony, which will take place on the second day of the 39th International Co-Production and Entertainment Content Market (October 16-19) in Cannes. As the only awards recognizing the promotion of diversity and inclusion in international television, this year saw 165 submissions from 27 countries.
A total of nine winners will be announced live in Cannes, including the "Behind The Scenes Impact" award, which recognizes an individual or team whose backstage influence, actions, and vision have been a source of inspiration in the field of diversity and inclusion. This year, the award will be presented to the CEO of the UK's Creative Diversity Network (CDN), Deborah Williams OBE, in recognition of her three decades of career that have led to a shift in perceptions of disability and increased inclusion in the television, film, and theater industries as an artist, activist, and, more recently, a policymaker and influential leader.
The 7th Diversify TV Awards are organized by MIPCOM CANNES in collaboration with founding partner Diversify TV, in association with founding and presenting partner A+E Networks, and data presenting partner Gracenote. The 2023 award partners also include All3Media International, Iron Mountain, Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, OUTtv, The United Nations Media Compact, DIMES, and Lightboat Media, among other supporting companies and organizations.
The Diversify TV Awards will be presented during a new prime-time slot in the MIPCOM CANNES program on Tuesday, October 17, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM and will once again be hosted by international presenter and diversity advocate Femi Oke. Open to all MIPCOM delegates, the awards ceremony will take place in the world-renowned Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, followed by a cocktail reception.
"Progress in diversity and inclusion comes from showing, not just telling," said Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES and MIPJUNIOR. "These awards highlight an incredible range of programs and individuals who have fostered authentic representation worldwide over the past year (and in the case of Deborah Williams, over the last thirty years) to an influential industry audience from over 100 countries. Being shortlisted is a significant honor, but equally important is how it can inspire attendees to emulate this in their own way."
Deborah Williams's work as a disabled artist has extended both on and off-screen in television, film, and theater. She has played a significant role in shaping influential policies in the broader creative industries, including advising the UN and UNICEF on the rights of disabled people in cultural activities and developing diversity standards for the British Film Institute (BFI), which have since been widely adopted by organizations such as BAFTA and AMPAS. As CEO of the UK's CDN, Williams has led the broadcaster-funded nonprofit to support the country's television industry in promoting, celebrating, and sharing best practices in diversity since 2016.
Deborah Williams OBE said, "I am honored to receive this award from Diversify TV and MIPCOM CANNES. As someone who has fought long and hard to highlight how attracting the best talent from the most diverse backgrounds can only make our industry more creative and successful, it means a lot to see this work recognized with an incredible award. Increasing diversity on and off-screen is a global challenge, which is why I am thrilled with this first international recognition of work that has international impact."
Femi Oke, returning for her second year as host, has reported, produced, and presented for television channels such as CNN International, Sky, National Geographic, NPR, Al Jazeera English, and the BBC. A regular moderator of global forums and conferences, Oke has worked on behalf of the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Commission. She is also the co-founder of Moderate The Panel, an agency dedicated to finding diverse event hosts, a collective of diverse international moderators.