NickALive!: Nickelodeon India Announces 'Kids’ Choice Awards 2021' Winners

Friday, April 22, 2022

Nickelodeon India Announces 'Kids’ Choice Awards 2021' Winners

KCA 2021 will open the voting gateways through multiple platforms such as Voot, Voot Kids and Jio App.

2021 was a year of change, and an ongoing roller coaster ride for kids as well as adults. However, despite the challenges, Nickelodeon India continues to stay true to its promise of putting kids first and ensures that kids stay cheerful and express themselves freely. With a belief that every voice counts, Nickelodeon, once again, is all set to empower and entertain kids with its flagship brand initiative Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021, the only awards show in the country that allows kids to vote and choose their favourites across multiple categories!

Update (24/3) - Nickelodeon India will air Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 on March 27 across multiple screens! Nick will telecast the whole episode on the channel, across social media, and OTT.

Kids’ Choice Awards 2020 was a runaway success in its virtual avatar with the highest ever, a whopping 1.5 million votes. This year too, the awards would be brought to life virtually with several cutting-edge additions and innovations that will surely strike a chord with kids and parents.

In addition to the existing categories such as favourite Youtuber, favourite dancer, favourite mobile game, etc. Nickelodeon’s KCA 2021 will witness the introduction of newer relevant categories such as favourite environmentalists, favourite sibling Jodi, and favourite fashion icon. Moreover, to award talent from across the country, KCA 2021 will see the introduction of south focussed categories too. The winners like every year will take home the coveted Nickelodeon blimp and get slimed as a mark of honour! Keeping the energies high, the orange carpet has witnessed the who’s who of B-town, from Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh to many personalities across categories to take home the coveted blimp.

The nominations were gathered from a research study conducted to determine who and what were the kids’ favourites while they were indoors during the lockdown. The opportunity to vote has been broadened even more so as to allow every kid to voice their choice. To enable a larger set of audiences to voice their choice, KCA 2021 will open the voting gateways through multiple platforms such as Voot, Voot Kids, and on the Jio App.

Speaking on Kids’ Choice Awards 2021, Viacom18 head of Hindi mass entertainment and Kids TV Network Nina Jaipuria said, “With kids at the heart of everything we do, at Nickelodeon, we continue to keep our young dynamic viewers engaged, entertained, and motivated through these difficult times with innovations and pioneering initiatives. Nickelodeon has adapted to the new normal to continue to be the most sought-after destination for meaningful entertainment in the kids’ category.”

She further added, “Year on year, the Kids’ Choice Awards has grown to become a unique brand IP in the kids’ genre. We believe that young minds are our future and empowering them with an opportunity to voice their choices is of utmost importance. The Nickelodeon KCA 2021 edition promises to be a fun and innovative initiative with interesting categories and unique virtual experiences and interactions.”

Pulling out all stops for Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards 2021 will see an innovative and novel marketing campaign. In addition to on-air promotions across the franchise, the initiative will have unique, platform-specific engagements across Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MX TakaTak to name a few. Specially curated superfan contests and sessions will entertain kids. Winners will be given a masterclass by celebrities on social media platforms. The KCA Gang of influencers will be at the forefront in full force to fan the frenzy. Taking the overall marketing initiative, a step forward, Nickelodeon has partnered with 99 Pancakes to curate special combos for KCA 2021.

The voting lines opened today (Feb. 7).

Here is a sneak peek at the award categories for Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021

1. Favorite Movie Actor (Male)

2. Favorite Movie Actor (Female)

3. Favorite Movie

4. Favorite Movie Actor (Male – South)

5. Favorite Movie Actor (Female – South)

6. Favorite Movie (South)

7. Favorite Song

8. Favorite Dancing Star

9. Favorite TV Actor (Male)

10. Favorite TV Actor (Female)

11. Favorite TV Show / Serial

12. Favorite Child Entertainer on TV

13. Favorite Mobile Game

14. Favorite Rapper

15. Favorite Online Learning app

16. Favorite YouTube Artist

17. Favourite Instagram Celebrity/Personality

18. Favorite Show on Kids/Cartoon Channel

19. Favorite Indian Cartoon Character

20. Favourite Kids Influencer

21. Favourite Food Item

22. Favorite Cricketer

23. Favorite Sportsperson

24. Favourite Comedian

25. Favourite Environmentalist

26. Favourite Sibling Jodi

27. Favourite Fashion Icon

Update (22/4) - Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2021 India winners!:

1. Favorite Movie Actor (Male): Akshay Kumar

2. Favorite Movie Actor (Female): Kiara Advani

3. Favorite Movie: Shershaah

4. Favorite Movie Actor (Male – South): Allu Arjun

5. Favorite Movie Actor (Female – South): Rashmikaa Mandana

6. Favorite Movie (South): Pushpa: The Rise

7. Favorite Song: Raataan Lambiyan

8. Favorite Dancing Star: Nora Fatehi

9. Favorite TV Actor (Male): Dilip Joshi

10. Favorite TV Actor (Female): Bharti Singh

11. Favorite TV Show / Serial: Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chasma

12. Favorite Child Entertainer on TV: Aurra Bhatnagar

13. Favorite Mobile Game: PUBG Mobile India

14. Favorite Rapper: Badshah

15. Favorite Online Learning app: BYJU’S

16. Favorite YouTube Artist: Ashish Chanchalani

17. Favorite Instagram Celebrity/Personality: Anushka Sen

18. Favorite Show On Kids/Cartoon Channel: Shinchan

20. Favourite Kids Influencer: Aayu & Pihu

21. Favourite Food Item: Pizza

22. Favorite Cricketer: MS Dhoni

23. Favorite Sportsperson: Neeraj Chopra

24. Favourite Comedian: Kapil Sharma

25. Favourite Environmentalist: M C Mehta

26. Favourite Sibling Jodi: Ashish Chanchalani – Muskan Chanchalani

27. Favourite Fashion Icon: Sara Ali Khan

The moment you were waiting for is here! All categories & nominees for the Kids' Choice Awards 2021 are OUT NOW! 📢

Go #VoteKaroHaqSe on Voot, the MyJio app and on Voot Kids because #YourVoiceCounts! 🤩#KCA2021 #KCAIndia2021 #KidsChoiceAwards #VoteNow #Nickelodeon pic.twitter.com/4NtMTMZ9LN
— NickIndia (@NickIndia) February 7, 2022

From IANS via MENAFN:

Badshah, Bharti Singh win Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2021

Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) Rapper Badshah and popular comedian Bharti Singh share their excitement on winning Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2021.

Badshah said: 'Kids don't hide it when they are bored, which is why it is important to keep giving them something different. With 2021 being challenging for them, to be able to entertain and engage with such a tough audience twice is exhilarating.'

The rapper who had twice won the award feels lucky on being favourite and chosen again.

'I feel fortunate to be chosen twice as the Favourite Rapper at the Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards 2021. I look forward to creating more songs and entertaining them throughout,' he added.

On the other hand, Bharti Singh has won the Best TV actor and quite elated on her win, Bharti said: 'I feel fortunate for the wonderful response received by kids. I truly believe laughter is a good medicine and it feels nice to know that I was able to create a happy environment and keep their spirits up during these challenging times.'

'I feel blessed to be chosen as the Favourite Female TV Actor at the Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards 2021. Speaking to children and trying to get them to laugh and respond is more difficult than speaking to adults. This is why this award is really special,' she concluded.

Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards is an Indian version of an American awards show which recognises popular faces from film,television, music and sports.

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From News Nation:

बादशाह, भारती सिंह ने निकेलोडियन किड्स च्वाइस अवार्डस 2021 जीता

मुंबई: रैपर बादशाह और लोकप्रिय कॉमेडियन भारती सिंह ने निकलोडियन किड्स च्वाइस अवार्डस 2021 जीतने पर अपना उत्साह साझा किया।

बादशाह ने कहा, बच्चे बोर होने पर इसे छिपाते नहीं हैं, यही वजह है कि उन्हें कुछ अलग देते रहना महत्वपूर्ण है। 2021 उनके लिए चुनौतीपूर्ण है, फिर भी दर्शकों के साथ दो बार मनोरंजन करने और जुड़ने में सक्षम होना उत्साहजनक है।

दो बार पुरस्कार जीतने वाला रैपर सबका पसंदीदा होता है और फिर से चुने जाने पर खुद को भाग्यशाली महसूस करता है।

बादशाह ने कहा, मैं निकलोडियन किड्स च्वाइस अवार्डस 2021 में पसंदीदा रैपर के रूप में दो बार चुने जाने पर खुद को भाग्यशाली महसूस करता हूं। मैं और भी अधिक गाने बनाने और दर्शकों का मनोरंजन करने के लिए तत्पर हूं।

दूसरी ओर, भारती सिंह ने सर्वश्रेष्ठ टीवी अभिनेता का पुरस्कार जीता है और अपनी जीत पर काफी उत्साहित हैं। उन्होंने कहा, मैं बच्चों को मिली शानदार प्रतिक्रिया के लिए भाग्यशाली महसूस करती हूं। मैं वास्तव में मानती हूं कि हंसी एक अच्छी दवा है और यह जानकर अच्छा लगता है कि मैं इस चुनौतीपूर्ण समय के दौरान एक खुशहाल माहौल बनाने और उनका उत्साह बनाए रखने में सक्षम था।

मैं निकलोडियन किड्स च्वाइस अवार्डस 2021 में पसंदीदा महिला टीवी अभिनेत्री के रूप में चुने जाने पर खुद को धन्य महसूस करती हं। बच्चों से बात करना और उन्हें हंसाना और प्रतिक्रिया देने की कोशिश करना वयस्कों से बात करने की तुलना में ज्यादा मुश्किल है। यही वजह है कि यह पुरस्कार वाकई खास है।

निकलोडियन किड्स च्वाइस अवार्डस एक अमेरिकी अवार्ड शो का भारतीय संस्करण है, जो फिल्म, टेलीविजन, संगीत और खेल जगत के लोकप्रिय चेहरों को सम्मानित करता है।

डिस्क्लेमरः यह आईएएनएस न्यूज फीड से सीधे पब्लिश हुई खबर है. इसके साथ न्यूज नेशन टीम ने किसी तरह की कोई एडिटिंग नहीं की है. ऐसे में संबंधित खबर को लेकर कोई भी जिम्मेदारी न्यूज एजेंसी की ही होगी.

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From AdGully:

Badshah and Bharti win big at Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2021

Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, India’s only awards that empowers kids and celebrates their choices has set the tone for the spring season with the announcement of kids favorite rap music star. And it is none other than Indian rapper Baadshah! Competing against the other music stalwarts in the rap space, the rapper emerged out as the winner of the category twice. Commenting on his win, Badshah said, “Kids don’t hide it when they are bored, which is why it is important to keep giving them something different. With 2021 being challenging for them, to be able to entertain and engage with such a tough audience twice is exhilarating. I feel fortunate to be chosen twice as the Favourite Rapper at the Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards 2021. I look forward to creating more songs and entertaining them throughout.”

Soon mother-to-be Bharti Singh has also added a feather to her cap of accomplishments as she’s won the Best TV actor at Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Elated on her win, Bharti said, “I feel fortunate for the wonderful response received by kids. I truly believe laughter is a good medicine and it feels nice to know that I was able to create a happy environment and keep their spirits up during these challenging times. I feel blessed to be chosen as the Favourite Female TV Actor at the Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards 2021. Speaking to children and trying to get them to laugh and respond is more difficult than speaking to adults. This is why this award is really special.”

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From Media Infoline:

“Our foray into Metaverse will give audience a chance to have an immersive experience of KCA”: Sonali Bhattacharya, Head of Marketing, Kids Entertainment Cluster, Viacom18

Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards is back with its second virtual edition. The channel is constantly evolving and making it’s core more kids friendly. “The Kids Choice Awards is an iconic property and owing to its concept it continues to garner a lot of love from young audiences year on year making it a successful property for Nickelodeon.” Says Sonali Bhattacharya, Head of Marketing, Kids Entertainment Cluster, Viacom18 in an exclusive interview with MI.

Sonali opens up about the marketing strategy, particularly after the pandemic. She also talks about the challenges and how the channel is overcoming them. Excerpts here:

Q) What are the challenges in the kid’s category? How are you strategizing to overcome them?

Sonali: We managed to turn a lot of challenges into opportunities for ourselves. The pandemic is proof that we always stayed ahead of the curve. We innovated to introduce a lot of digital disruptive initiatives like Nicks Dance, Creatively Yours, Yoga se hi Hoga, and more. We effectively connected with the audience through these digital mediums. One of the enormous challenges for us lies in the fact that our target group grows in and out of the category. But this encourages us to stay even more creative because our TG grows bored quickly; they like new and different things with very little attention. So as brand custodians, we need to push ourselves hard. We need to innovate and think out of the box. We are also facing massive competition as every genre wants to communicate with kids, be it general entertainment, digital, OTT, or other Kids’ channels. Our TG is the youngest, and we can’t do anything that would compromise their mental well-being, safety, and health. We have to do things carefully and at lightning speed, simultaneously. Also, we can’t forget about the gatekeepers – the parents, as they are very much involved in what the kid consumes.

Q) How is the digital spectrum helping the brand because the role of technology has increased tremendously in the past two years?

Sonali: Technology has been a great enabler. It is an excellent leveller in India, where every market behaves differently from each other. What would work in the HSM market would not work for the South Asian market, and vice-versa. However it is because of technology, especially during the last two years, we have had access to everything on a screen of our choice. Kids had access to social media, and Instagram reels, to watch their favourite show if watching on Nick wasn’t a possibility, then it happened on YouTube. Technology has only enabled brands to communicate more efficiently with their audience in a country like ours. It helped us curate better content and messaging.

"Our foray into Metaverse will give audience a chance to have an immersive experience of KCA": Sonali Bhattacharya, Head of Marketing, Kids Entertainment Cluster, Viacom18

Q) These days, kids are keener towards digital. What tech-driven strategies are you adopting to engage with kids?

Sonali: Kids Choice Award and Metaverse are purely tech-driven strategies. Gamification is another inbound step that has a prominent role these days. It is a stem that arose from the pandemic when things and games around nostalgia saw a boom. We gamified traditional games like Ludo, and Snakes and Ladder with cartoon characters like Motu Patlu, Happy Pinaki, and Bhoot Bandhus, and it received a great response. We launched games with AR filters and AR-based mobile games with our recent Holi initiative. Nickelodeon has also considered the intelligent use of influencers. We have put out platform-agnostic content by partnering with many like-minded influencers who helped us curate and customize content carefully for our young audience.

Q) How do you recognize the right influencer for your brand?

Sonali: Each platform has its own set of influencers. Some work for us, and some don’t. As a leading brand, we take responsibility towards kids very seriously. We don’t collaborate with anyone and everyone. We filter our influencers basis safety, tonality, messaging, and their overall persona.

Also Read: Nickelodeon’s latest pro-socio edition of ‘Together For Good’ requests kids to ‘#TakeABreak’

Q) Is there a way to determine the authentic influencer?

Sonali: Influencers are online celebrities you are using to engage for your brand. This aspect of brand communication is qualitative and will remain so in the future. On our part, we thoroughly research. It serves as a guiding roadmap for us. We also keep a tab on some of the popular influencers in various markets. We take a close watch on the influencer’s following and engagement on a particular platform.

Q) How is the channel planning to strategize marketing as parents are very involved in kids’ activities?

Sonali: Being a leader in the kid’s category, Nickelodeon has always kept the interest of our young audience at the core of our hearts. We always keep track of the pulse of the kid. We have continued to dialogue with them even during the lockdown. We introduced initiatives that struck a strong chord with kids; for instance, Nick Dance, Creatively Yours, etc. Our marketing strategy is based on sound research and insights. Most of our initiatives run on the back of our popular IPs and characters such as Motu Patlu, Rudra, Chikoo aur Bunty. We keep our toons at the forefront of all our communication and messaging. It is because of all these initiatives that there lies a strong bond between our toons and kids.

Q) 1st virtual edition saw 1.5 million votes. What is the response this year?

Sonali: We have garnered similar success this year too. We have already touched the same figure in terms of online voting. The Kids Choice Awards is an iconic property and owing to its concept it continues to garner a lot of love from young audiences year on year making it a successful property for Nickelodeon.

Q) What are the latest offering in terms of engaging young audiences and parents?

Sonali: Our summer campaigns are taking shape and will go live over the next few weeks. The April-May-June quarter is a crucial one for us. We have a lot of engagement lined up along with our tentpoles IP, which includes episodes of our toon characters. As the nation unlocks and things are gradually moving back to normal, we are hoping to do some on-ground activities to make them experience all that they missed in the past two years. We have the Kids Choice Awards culminating on 27th March which will be available for them across multiple screens. We will telecast the whole episode on the channel, across social media, and OTT. This edition also marks our foray into the Metaverse, where the audience will get a chance to have an immersive experience of the Kids Choice Awards. It is something that’s never been done before in the category in India or even globally.

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From BestMediaInfo.com:

Viacom18 geared up for 7th edition of Kid’s Choice Awards; forecasts audience engagement will be much higher this time

In an interaction with BestMediaInfo.com, Sonali Bhattacharya Head - Marketing, Kids Cluster, Viacom18 talks about the preparations and expectations for the upcoming edition of Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards

The Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards has established itself as a marquee property in the kid’s entertainment space in India and has had numerous A-list celebrities endorsing and performing for it. The awards are all set to return with its seventh edition in an interactive digital avatar this year.

The awards took place virtually last year owing to the pandemic situation, but they clocked a high engagement rate and recorded 1.5 million votes. In an interaction with BestMediaInfo.com about the upcoming seventh edition of the awards, Sonali Bhattacharya, Head - Marketing, Kids Cluster, Viacom18, said that they are expecting the engagement to be much higher this time.

“We had to pivot two years back to a completely virtual format when the pandemic hit us. That's when we decided that even though the circumstances around us are changing, we will not go back on our promise of always being there for a kid and always entertaining them no matter what the situation. We took a very brave step by keeping KCA (Kid’s Choice Awards) alive online, even though it is a marquee property. We opened up the campaigns on every possible screen. So, a large part of it, of course, rested on our franchise channels. We talk to 52 million kids every week and we used that to the fullest,” Bhattacharya said.

“In addition, we opened it out on social, OTT, digital platforms to make it completely platform agnostic. I think it paid off because we got the highest number of votes ever, 1.5 million, last year. I am happy to announce that we've touched that number this year as well which is a big feat. Despite things opening up we have seen the engagement and amount of love for KCA grow,” she added.

This year the Kids Cluster of Viacom18 is also venturing in the Metaverse to give the kids an interactive experience from the safety of their homes. As per Bhattacharya, no one else in the kid’s entertainment space has entered the metaverse space as of yet.

“We'll host the screening on the Decentraland platform to create an immersive experience for our audiences,” Bhattacharya said.

Speaking about the advertising and sponsorship response to the new edition of the Kid’s Choice Awards she said the teams are in the process of finalising the deals. She said the property has always garnered the attention of brands as it gives a great forum for brands to meaningfully interact with kids and their families.

Further, the summers are an important period for the kids' entertainment property because of vacations in schools. As per Bhattacharya, the Network has seen a positive advertising and sponsorship response for the channel.

“Our franchise share (among channels) is the highest with a 32% share. The sentiment around the kids' category and the leading brand that we are is definitely looking optimistic. Things had taken a beating during the pandemic in terms of advertisers but they are looking good now. I think it's too soon to tell what level it's going to hit; we are going to have to wait and watch.”

Bhattacharya also spoke at length about the campaigns it had carried recently. She stated the examples of ‘Creatively Yours’- that aimed at immersing kids’ in activities like dancing, cooking, clay pottery, among others, virtually. Their ‘Yoga Se Hi Hoga’ campaign was also applauded by the Aayush Ministry.

“These are very strong campaigns built on great insight, that if you relate to kids in a manner of their liking it will always strike a balance. I would say innovation is in our DNA, we take important steps in connecting with audiences and we realise how important it is to strengthen purpose and meaning in any sort of brand communication. We keep collaborating with like-minded brands, through in-show integrations, promo integrations. All this is in addition to the pureplay FCT. There's a lot of immersive integration that we end up doing for our clients and that is only set to grow,” Bhattacharya said.

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From Lehren:

Badshah And Bharti Win Big At Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2021

The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards India is the Indian version of the American awards show and the only awards show in the country that allows kids to vote and choose their favorites stars.

“Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards”, India’s only award that empowers kids and celebrates their choices has set the tone for the spring season with the announcement of the kid’s favorite rap music star. And it is none other than Indian rapper Baadshah! Competing against the other music stalwarts in the rap space, the rapper emerged out as the winner of the category twice.

Commenting on his win, Badshah said, “Kids don’t hide it when they are bored, which is why it is important to keep giving them something different. With 2021 being challenging for them, to be able to entertain and engage with such a tough audience twice is exhilarating. I feel fortunate to be chosen twice as the Favourite Rapper at Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards 2021. I look forward to creating more songs and entertaining them throughout.”

Soon, mother-to-be, Bharti Singh has also added a feather to her cap of accomplishments as she’s won the “Best TV actor at Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards”.

Elated on her win, Bharti said, “I feel fortunate for the wonderful response received by kids. I truly believe laughter is good medicine and it feels nice to know that I was able to create a happy environment and keep their spirits up during these challenging times. I feel blessed to be chosen as the Favourite Female TV Actor at Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards 2021. Speaking to children and trying to get them to laugh and respond is more difficult than speaking to adults. This is why this award is really special.”

The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards India is the Indian version of the American awards show and the only awards show in the country that allows kids to vote and choose their favorites across multiple categories including films, television, sports, and digital, to name a few. The nominees for these awards were shortlisted through a special method of research conducted online to determine who won kids’ hearts by entertaining them the most this year around. The awards are one of their kind which checklists on Bollywood extravaganza with slime and magical performances and hosts the best of showbiz across film, television, mobile gaming, and sports.

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From IWMBuzz:

‘Kids Choice Awards’ is our first step into metaverse – Sonali Bhattacharya, Head of Marketing – Kids TV Network, Viacom18, Sonali Bhattacharya, Head of Marketing - Kids TV Network, Viacom18 in conversation with IWMBuzz

Sonali Bhattacharya is currently serving as the Head of Marketing – Kids TV Network, Viacom18. She’s known to be a determined leader and with her marketing skills, she has played a decisive role in devising the growth story of the kids’ entertainment category in India. In an illustrious career spanning over a decade, Sonali has spearheaded numerous campaigns, marketing plans, strategic business innovations and initiatives. With an inspired and talented team under her aegis, she aims to drive industry trends through innovation and build a vibrant eco-system in the kids cluster. It is with a strong understanding of the broadcast industry and the pioneering vision of Sonali

that has led to her repeat the success story for the network’s kids’ entertainment cluster. She engages in a detailed conversation with IWMBuzz about Kids Choice Awards, future of kids’ entertainment, incorporation of metaverse in future Nick IPs and more. Read to find out

It has been 6 years since the Kids Choice Awards were introduced, how has the journey been for the IP?

To put it simply, it’s been a very wonderful ride. The IP has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 6 years. We launched with all the Bollywood glamour and mindfully pivoted to virtual to ensure that our viewers were empowered by casting their vote. Whether it’s an on-ground or virtual event, it is our promise to kids to empower them that really matters. We introduced the virtual edition in an all-new look and feel. Our promise to always stand by kids no matter what is happening outside has really paid off. We saw a high level of engagement and excitement last year and are experiencing the same this year as well.

With 6 successful years of Kids’ Choice Awards, what are some of the major changes that you have witnessed since the first edition?

Kids Choice Awards is the marquee brand property of Nickelodeon and a well-established global property. India is one of the few countries which has its very own version of the Kids Choice Award. This by itself is a testimony to the success of Kids Choice Awards in our country. The biggest reason that it does so well is that it keeps kids at the core of the messaging, communication and it actually gives children the freedom to choose their favourite, make decisions and cast their vote to their favourite celebrity, actor, dance, video games, rapper, etc. We have been increasing the number of categories each year. The level of engagement has increased and so has the number of brand integrations. Overall the property has evolved to keep up to the needs of the current generation since a new set of kids enter the TG each year. We have seen more interest from celebrities wanting to be a part of the awards given how hit it is with their kids and their friends.

This is your second year of virtual Kids Choice Awards. How was the transition from physical to virtual awards? What was the response garnered for the first virtual edition?

We have had to re-imagine and rethink the manner in which we bring this property to live to our audiences and that’s when we decided to completely pivot, go virtual and multiscreen since the pandemic. We adopted a 100% multiscreen approach. We stayed true to our promise of always being there for kids. We took this leap of scope and transferred everything from on the ground to the multiscreen, virtually, and I must say it has done very well for us. We garnered the highest number of votes last year which was 1.5 billion, we have also garnered a similar number this year which is a very big win for us.

What are some platform specific engagement tools that Nickelodeon has used to reach its target audience on social media?

The interesting part of technology is that it creates a level playing field for our consumers across any number of cities. All of them have access to Instagram, Facebook, YouTube today and the penetration of the internet across the country has also deepened. This has given kids across the country access to good content, no matter which part of the country they may live in. We regularly launch filters on Instagram. We recently launched one for Holi. We have partnered with food brands to offer character and show related food items. We did it for the launch of Chikoo aur Bunty and it worked fabulously. We continue to be across multiple touch points to captivate our young audiences’ attention.

Captivating the attention in the kids’ category is a very challenging task. What tried and tested marketing strategies have proven successful for the kids cluster?

It is challenging when marketing to a category where there are new entrants each year and a set that exits the category the same year. We have ensured we have had an omnipresent approach. So whether they are buying a toy, would want to eat a pizza or a burger, we have tried to be present at every touch-point beyond the screen. We have also always allowed our characters to do the communication and this has worked wonders since these characters are so loved by kids. For instance, in our latest edition of the Together for Good Campaign, we have Chikoo and Bunty in their element doing the communication. This campaign particularly touches upon a topic that is a need of the hour and yet not so openly spoken about. Kids need that honesty and empathy and we have always ensured that they can turn to us in their time of need.

What are the do’s and don’ts one should keep in mind when marketing to kids?

We need to never forget that our TG is a child at the end of the day. Hence, keep communication light-hearted and relevant. Do it meaningfully and with a purpose. Respect them and their opinions. Kids appreciate honesty and are ever aware about all that happens around them. Don’t talk down to them or be preachy with messaging. Communicate to them as equals.

Lastly, how will metaverse be incorporated in future Nick IPs?

Kids Choice Awards is our first step into the metaverse. We thought what better way than to give audiences the chance to view KCA in the metaverse. It’s a very dynamic live format where you have celebrities accepting their awards, and performing. Kids are the first movers and early adopters and we see growth in the manner of interaction with this group. We will aim to incorporate and integrate with metaverse in any big campaign that we do in the future and wherever we see a good fit.

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From Online Media Cafe:

Alpenliebe Eclairs Plus presents Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021

Perfetti Van Melle India, Wavemaker India, and Nickelodeon announce the first-ever Metaverse awards screening experience in India with – “Alpenliebe Eclairs Plus presents Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021”

24th March 2022; Mumbai, India: Viacom18’s and India’s leading kids’ entertainment franchise, Nickelodeon has been at the forefront of empowering and entertaining kids with the one-of-its-kind – Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. Dialling up the connect with young audiences and their parents over the years, Nickelodeon has been the perfect platform for young viewers, providing unique experiences delivered through category-defining initiatives. A flagship initiative that empowers kids and celebrate their choices, “Alpenliebe Eclairs Plus presents Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021” is set to be the ‘first ever’ awards screening experience in India to be held in the metaverse. This association has been conceptualised and crafted by Wavemaker India for Perfetti Van Melle India in partnership with Viacom18.

The awards show will come to life in a screening at Decentraland, the place of the first ever Metaverse concert. This desktop first experience of Alpenliebe Eclairs Plus presents Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021” curated for audiences across the globe is sure to provide families with one of its kind immersive entertainment experiences. The screening will allow users to create virtual avatars and experience the slime fountains, ride on the blimp and play fun games while being virtually immersed at the event.

Along with the metaverse, the awards will witness the biggest simulcast this year across 14+ multiscreen platforms- on TV with Nick, Sonic, Nick HD+, Tata Play (Ch. Nos 664 and 665), on Viacom18’s OTT platforms Voot, Voot Kids along with Jio TV and Jio TV+ and on digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram on Sunday 27th March 2022 at 8.30pm. The awards will be see a fun gaming themed night where Nicktoons will be seen playing a lot of arcade games while also presenting awards to super stars and kids favourites like Badshaah, Deepika Padukone, Siddharth Malhotra, Sara Ali Khan, Kiara Advani, Rashmika Mandana and influencers like Anushka Sen and more. The event will also see Olympians, para Olympians amongst others being celebrated for their inspiring achievements.

Speaking on creating category-first innovations Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head – Hindi Mass Entertainment & Kids TV Network, Viacom18, said, “Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards reiterates our commitment towards empowering and encouraging young audiences to voice their choice. KCA has created a unique position for itself, and year-on-year continues to deepen engagement with its audiences. Always ahead of the curve, Nickelodeon has created new benchmarks for innovation in the category and KCA 2021 is all set to provide a seamless unified experience to consumers on a platform of their choice including the first ever metaverse screening in the category!”

Speaking about partnering with the pioneering awards Rohit Kapoor, Marketing Director from Perfetti Van Melle, said, “As a brand that is also looking at deep engagement with kids and families we are always on the lookout for unique platforms and properties that allow as to tell our brand story distinctively. Associating with a category-first metaverse event allows is to augment our engagement with our audience make it more meaningful and tech-forward. In times when every child is engaging with a screen this clutter-breaking association allows us to be ahead of the curve in striking a connect with families.”

On integrating with Kids Choice Mr. Karthik Nagarajan, Chief Content Officer, Wavemaker India, said, “Content marketing on Metaverse platform is the next wave in digital marketing. At Wavemaker, our philosophy is to positively provoke our clients and create industry-first innovative work for our brands. With Alpenliebe Eclairs Plus and Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards we had the perfect partnership to create category first Web3.0 event which would enthrall young audiences and their parents. Interactive entertainment is the future of consumer experience and we are all excited to ride this wave.”

With several cutting-edge additions and pioneering initiatives, the run up to the 7th edition of the awards witnessed many ground-breaking influencer and digital outreach campaigns. To fan the frenzy, the KCA Gang of influencers engaged in conversation live on twitter spaces about their favourite nominees which included kid influencers, young adults, and mom bloggers such as Siddharth Nigam, Cahat Tewani and Saru Mukherjee to name a few.

Pulling out all stops, KCA 2021 also curated a special treasure hunt for its fans on Instagram along with the KCA gang, to win special hampers and vouchers. Specially curated superfan contests and sessions entertained kids across Instagram and YouTube. Platform specific engagements across MX Taka Tak, Instagram and other short format content platforms encouraged young fans to groove to the KCA shake. Taking the overall marketing initiative, a step forward, Nickelodeon exclusively partnered with 99 Pancakes to curate special limited edition meals. Through partnerships with Red Wolf and Nirula’s, KCA 2021 offered discounts to people who cast their votes.

With so many innovation in store this year, don’t forget to tune into Alpenliebe Eclairs Plus presents Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 in the Metaverse by registering yourself on nickindia.com, on TV with Nick, Sonic, Nick HD+, Tata Play (Ch. Nos 664 and 665), on Viacom18’s OTT platforms Voot, Voot Kids along with Jio TV and Jio TV+ and on digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram on Sunday 27th March 2022 at 8.30pm.

Given below is the complete list basis of those who won big at the Alpenliebe Eclairs Plus presents Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2021:

Sr. No. Category Contestant Name