The Shortlist For The Rise Awards Are Announced
The Rise Awards are a celebration of the outstanding talent, skills, expertise and achievements of exceptional women across the broadcast technology and services sectors.
The winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony, as part of the DPP Leaders’ Briefing on 18 November, in London and online. Register here for the London event.
The Awards
Business Awards
This award will recognise the achievements of a woman running a business within the broadcast industry (either manufacturer or service provider), for example, a CEO, Managing Director, COO, or business owner. We are looking for someone who shows business acumen, outstanding leadership whilst achieving remarkable business growth.
Shortlists
Dr. Johanna Björklund, Co-founder and CTO, Codemill
Michelle Munson, CEO and Co-Founder, Eluvio
Alison Pitchford, Group Managing Director, MBI
Heidi Shakespere, Director – IMES Europe

R&D Engineer Award
This award will recognise a dynamic and innovative engineer, who represents the very best of our broadcasting profession. She is a high achiever, a problem solver and a team player. She should be an inspiration to her colleagues, the wider profession and also inspire others to follow in her footsteps.
Shortlists
Laura Bunea, R&D Engineer, Vizrt
Michelle Griffin, Product Engineering Manager, farmerswife and Cirkus
Jennifer Zeidan, Engineering Manager, Media Systems Infrastructure, Netflix

Product/Support Engineer Award
This award will recognise a dynamic and innovative engineer, who represents the very best of our broadcasting profession. She is a high achiever, a problem solver and a team player. She should be an inspiration to her colleagues, the wider profession and also inspire others to follow in her footsteps.
Shortlists
Sophie Colvin, Vision Guarantee Manager, Gravity Media
Carys Hughes, Engineer – Emerging Technologies, Sky
Mirusha
Jegatheeswaran, Content Technology Support Engineer, ITV Daytime

Marketer/PR Award
This award will commend an outstanding woman who is working in a marketing or PR role in the industry; either in-house or for an agency or as a freelancer. She will demonstrate a desire to learn and innovate, as well as being a strategic-thinker who consistently show astuteness, professionalism and creativity.
Shortlists
Silvia Botella, Marketing Manager, Red Bee Media
Melanie Crandall, Demand Generation Manager, Vizrt Group
Lauren McIntosh, Global Marketing Manager, Accedo

Product Innovation Award
This award will recognise the importance of revolution and invention for the broadcasting sector today and for the future. Fulfilling either a product development and/or product management role, the outcome should be engaging and empowering to make a difference and create tangible benefits to the industry.
Shortlists
Izabella Koukorava, Head of Product, Sky
Michelle Munson, CEO and Co-Founder, Eluvio
Karen Walker, Vice President – Camera Motion Systems, Ross Video

Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award will recognise women who are industry newcomers, with four years or less industry experience, but who are considered as stand-out performers, innovators and emerging leaders in the broadcast & media industry. Applicants must have demonstrated exceptional and ongoing achievements and have made significant and demonstrable contributions to their business.
Shortlists
Sophie Lambert, Freelancer
Jane Lawrance, VT Guarantee, Timeline Television
Neave Spikings, Support Engineer, ITV Studios
Georgia Thirtle, Sound Engineer, Gravity Media

Sales Award
The Sales Award is designed to celebrate excellence in sales; from great sales performance, showing initiative and creativity, as well as maintaining great customer relationships. Open to any woman in a sales role in the broadcast industry working either in a manufacturer, service provider, broadcaster, media publisher or tradeshow.
Shortlists
Karen Clark, Head of Australian and New Zealand Sales, Telstra
Angela Gibbons, Head of Sales, EMG UK
Laura Wignall, Business Development Manager – Production, Gravity Media

Technical Operation Award
This award will celebrate a technical operations team member who has gone above and beyond the requirements of their day to day role to make a difference, whether it’s delivering outstanding client service on a particular project or service line, resolving a difficult problem or supporting a colleague or client to help achieve this.
Shortlists
Kate Furtas, Key Account Manager, Deluxe Media
Rebecca Moore, Director Technical Operations, CNNI
Rebecca Smith, Audio Assistant, Platform Post Production

Woman of the Year Award
This special award will be chosen by the Rise Advisory Board and is open to any woman from across the sector and at any level. It will celebrate an extraordinary and inspirational woman who has made a significant contribution within her field.
Shortlists
To be announced at the Awards Ceremony

Company Award For Investment in Women
The winning organisation will have made a significant time or financial investment in recruiting and retaining it’s female workforce. They will be ensuring equal pay, giving their female talent a voice, providing flexible working practices and have a no-tolerance attitude to sexism in the workplace. This company will celebrate the success of its female team and be able to demonstrate the steps they have taken to do all of this.
Shortlists
Deluxe Localisation
Newsbridge
Visual Data Media Services

Student Award
Our student of the year will be a stellar representative of their educational institution. They will be the most outstanding student of their year but not necessarily with the highest grades. She will have shown determination to succeed and demonstrated a desire to learn, improve and exceed their potential.
Shortlists
Holly van der Rest, Solent University
Catherine King, University of Pittsburgh
Sama Mirmiran, University of Surrey

Influencer Award
This award will go to an individual that creates influence, communities, has a voice in the industry and brings people together. They can work in a sales, marketing, journalist, business or any other role and will be recognised by their peers and community as an influencer.
Shortlists
Marianna Montague, Avid
Louise Patel, Share My Telly Job
Kylee Peña, Netflix


