SPH Media’s Chinese Media Group has won one gold and six silver awards at the US-based Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts’ (AIVA) 2026 awards, its best showing since it began entering the international digital media competition in 2020.
The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) recently announced the winners of the 21st w3 Awards. Lianhe Zaobao’s (LHZB) English-language e-magazine platform ThinkChina won gold in the Podcast Features-Best Podcast Branding & Cover Art category for its interview series ThinkChina Conversations.
Four Zaobao silver winners span a range of social issues
Four of the six silver-winning entries were produced by LHZB: Artists of an Isle, a documentary series on local artists, in the Video Series-Arts & Entertainment category; Inside the Chingay parades of Singapore and Malaysia, in the General Video-Documentary category; the special video report The reality of being young and homeless in Singapore, in the General Video-Cause Awareness category; and Google Trend Insights on Most Discussed Words and Events of 2025, an interactive feature for its annual Chinese character poll, in the Website Features-Best Use of Data Visualization category.
The other two silver winners were Walk with Me, co-produced by LHZB and RedAnts, in the Video Series-Belonging & Inclusion category; and social media brand HeyKaki’s entertainment programme Ranking Young Singaporeans By How Susceptible They Are To Drugs, in the Branded Entertainment-Public Service & Activism category.
The annual w3 Awards recognise outstanding digital content, experiences and creativity across websites, video, online marketing, podcasts, social media, creator content, artificial intelligence (AI) and more. The organisers said this year’s competition attracted thousands of entries from around the world.
ThinkChina editor Chow Yian Ping said ThinkChina Conversations uses creative animated cover art, a combination of long- and short-form videos, and carefully matched text and visuals to present former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo’s views on major issues facing the world today. The programme runs for more than an hour.
She said: “We use multimedia storytelling to bring audiences closer to the changes shaping the world, offering perspectives rooted in Singapore and informed by our geographical location in Southeast Asia. Our coverage explores China’s rise and the challenges it faces, as well as the impact of President Trump’s second administration on the US and the wider global order.”
The silver-winning Inside the Chingay parades of Singapore and Malaysia took a team of more than 10 people over two months to complete. It traces the Chingay parade from its earliest coverage in The Straits Times in 1883 to today’s annual cultural celebrations, which have distinct styles in Singapore and Malaysia.
Wang Shuyang, LHZB’s audio-video content editor, said: “Many people are familiar with Chingay, but do not actually know much about its historical evolution and cultural significance. Through on-location interviews with representative figures in Singapore, Johor and Penang, combined with historical sources and animation, we hope to present a comprehensive picture of Chingay across time and place.”
Three video programmes nominated for Asian Television Awards
Besides these awards, Chinese Media Group has received three nominations at the 31st Asian Television Awards. They are for the short-form video series Practically Awesome and Walk with Me, co-produced by LHZB and RedAnts, and HeyKaki’s original entertainment programme Kaki or Love.
This year’s Asian Television Awards ceremony will be held on 13 and 14 November in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where the winners will be announced.
