Cochin: Pepper Awards 2024 celebrated the creative achievements of the South Indian media industry at a grand gala held on December 6th, 2024, at Taj Vivanta, Marine Drive, Kochi. The event saw industry professionals, top media leaders, and creative minds come together to recognise excellence across advertising, media, and communication.
Vermmillion was named Agency of the Year, a well-deserved accolade for the agency’s exceptional work in the regional advertising space. Mathrubhumi was honoured with the Advertiser of the Year award, recognising the media giant’s impactful contributions to the advertising ecosystem. Mathrubhumi’s Club FM was also celebrated for its creative brilliance, receiving multiple special recognitions across various categories, with jury members particularly praising the quality of its entries and the creativity it brought to the radio industry.
The ceremony, which marked a significant milestone for the Pepper Awards, was graced by MV Shreyams Kumar, Managing Director of Mathrubhumi Group, who was the Chief Guest for the evening. His presence added a sense of prestige to the event, which served as a platform to celebrate the evolving landscape of media and advertising in South India.
Pepper Awards 2024 saw an impressive 604 entries, a 30% increase compared to the previous edition, underscoring the growing recognition of creative excellence in the region. Stark Communication clinched the Best of Kerala agency award, while Nirvana Films was recognised as Best of Karnataka, highlighting the region’s diverse creative talents.
The jury for this year’s awards comprised some of the most esteemed names in the advertising and creative industries. The panel included Senthil Kumar, Chief Creative Officer at VML India; Jonoo Simon, CEO & Chief Creative Officer of Brave New World; Manish Bhatt, Founder Director of Scarecrow M&C Saatchi; Niranjan Natarajan, Founder Creative Director at Why Axis Advertising L.L.P.; Chockalingam S, Co-founder/Director of OPN Advertising; Sanket Audhi, Creative & Founding Member at Talented; and Teresa Sebastian, Creative & Founding Member at Talented. Their insights and expertise played a crucial role in recognising the standout work across categories.
The evening was a celebration not only of individual achievements but of the collective progress of the South Indian advertising and media industries. As the event concluded, the atmosphere was charged with a sense of anticipation for the future of creative excellence in the region.
