AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – While the Academy Awards celebrates movies, the Asian Media Awards celebrate the accomplishments of those in media. On Tuesday October 28, Hilton Deansgate in Manchester, United Kingdom held the second annual Asian Media Awards, celebrating the work of journalists, actors, TV personalities, and marketing professionals. Pakistani 3D animated series ‘Burka Avenger’ earned the ‘Best TV Show’ award due to its positive morals and support for women empowerment. In such a society where women are second to men, this award is a great achievement and could be a catalyst for real change.
Burka Avenger, directed by Aaron Haroon Rashid, stars Jiya, a schoolteacher and her super-woman persona, Burka Avenger, who conceals her identity with a burqa. She fights the villain, Baba Bandook, and his followers while promoting the ideals of justice, peace, and education for both genders. The show also advocates non-discrimination and gender equality. This is especially important since the series was produced completely in Pakistan and aired on Geo Tez, Geo Network TV, and Geo Kahani in 2013.
In the aftermath of the polio outbreak in Syria, Burka Avenger even aired an episode for polio awareness in honor of World Polio Day. Viewers were advised to give children polio drops, since they are among the most susceptible to the disease.
The Asian Media Awards were established in 2013 to celebrate the talent of those contributing to popular media as well as trailblazers in the media industry.
The Asian Media Awards is a time to celebrate all the talent of media professionals while acknowledging the media’s power in shaping our world for the better.