The winners at tonight’s International Format Awards at ClubC21 in Cannes
MIPCOM: Belgian distributor Be Entertainment made a big splash at tonight’s International Format Awards in Cannes, picking up three prizes – including two for its new adventure-reality concept Destination X.
The International Format Awards, a coproduction between C21Media, FRAPA, the Entertainment Masterclass and Mipcom, took place at ClubC21 in Cannes this evening.
Destination X triumphed in the competition reality and multi-platform categories
Destination X, originally produced by Geronimo for VTM in Belgium and shopped by Be Entertainment to buyers in the Netherlands and Germany, among other territories, was named Best Competition Reality Format and Best Multi-Platform Format.
In the show, 10 contestants embark on a road trip with no idea of their destination. Once they’re on the innovative Destination X bus, reality is tweaked to mislead both the participants and the viewers. Information comes with clues designed to help the contestants decide if they can trust what they see.
A second Be Entertainment show, family entertainment format Finder$ Keeper$, which is produced by Send In The Clowns for VTM, was named Best Comedy Format.
Elsewhere, there were a pair of awards for European production and distribution group Banijay.
Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge – from Endemol Shine North America, Workerbee and Mattel Television for NBC – was crowned Best Brand Driven Format, while Lego Masters – which airs on Channel 4 in the UK and Fox in the US, among others – scooped Best Returning Format.
There was a prize apiece for BBC Studios, which won Best Studio-Based Gameshow Format for Magnum Media’’s The 1% Club; Keshet International, which took Best Scripted Format for Suspicion (based on Israeli drama False Flag); France’s Newen Connect for CCCP’s Don’t Stop the Music, which is this year’s Best Factual Entertainment Format; and Fremantle, whose Channel 4 show The Piano took home Best Reality Format.
Meanwhile, Claudia Winkleman was named Best Host for her work on the BBC’s UK version of breakout format The Traitors, distributed by All3Media International.
Finally, Arthur Essebag received the 2023 International Formats Business Gold Award. One of France’s best-known TV hosts, Essebag has been a leader in the development of the French unscripted sector since the 1990s and is the founder of Satisfaction Group.
Thanking the team at Satisfaction, Essebag told the audience: “I am hugely touched and so proud to be the first French person to win this award. It is so hard to celebrate with all the pain and terror that we’ve seen in the news this week. It’s so hard to be here tonight, safe with you, when so many are suffering in Israel and Gaza. I would like to dedicate this award to our friends and colleagues at Keshet and Reshet. I hope soon it will be time for them to come back to Cannes.”
The full list of International Format Awards 2023 winners:
BEST BRAND-DRIVEN FORMAT
Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge
Produced by: Endemol Shine North America, Workerbee, Mattel Television
For: NBC
Distributed by: Banijay
BEST COMPETITION REALITY FORMAT
Destination X
Produced by: Geronimo
For: VTM
Distributed by: Be Entertainment
BEST COMEDY FORMAT
Finder$ Keeper$
Produced by: PIT, Send in the Clowns
For: VTM
Distributed by: Be Entertainment
BEST FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT FORMAT
Don’t Stop the Music
Produced by: CCCP
For: NPO3
Distributed by: Newen Connect
BEST MULTI-PLATFORM FORMAT
Destination X
Produced by: Geronimo
For: VTM
Distributed by: Be Entertainment
BEST SCRIPTED FORMAT
Suspicion (based on False Flag)
Produced by: Keshet UK
For: Apple TV+
Distributed by: Keshet International
BEST STUDIO-BASED GAMESHOW FORMAT
The 1% Club
Produced by: Magnum Media
For: Various globally
Distributed by: BBC Studios
BEST RETURNING FORMAT
LEGO Masters
Produced by: Tuesday’s Child, Endemol Shine North America, Endemol France, Endemol Shine Australia
For: Channel 4, Fox, M6, Nine
Distributed by: Banijay
BEST REALITY FORMAT
The Piano
Produced by: Love Productions
For: Channel 4
Distributed by: Fremantle
BEST HOST OF A FORMAT
Claudia Winkleman (The Traitors)
Produced by: Studio Lambert
For: BBC One
Distributed by: All3Media International
THE INTERNATIONAL FORMATS BUSINESS GOLD AWARD 2023
Arthur Essebag
Congratulations to all the winners!
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