2021 SHORTLIST

hashtagsportsawards

AEW DYNAMITE AWARDS

Entrant Company: WarnerMedia, STN Digital

FINALIST

Best Social Live Stream Content

AEW Dynamite Awards

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

The first annual AEW Dynamite Awards were created to celebrate the stars of All Elite Wrestling and the top viral moments over the past year voted on by the fans, for the fans.

How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?

Awards shows often happen so that an individual, corporation or certain entity can acquire another accolade, but the AEW Awards were not for the winners or company; it was to give the fans a voice and thank them for their continued support. The reliance on fan engagement for this awards show made it unique and special. The AEW Awards set a benchmark for the amount of appreciation and integration fans can have in all events.

 

Objective: During these strange pandemic times, AEW on TNT continued to see strong viewership and loyalty from the fanbase and wanted to find a way to give back and celebrate the fans.

 

Strategy & Execution: From start to finish, the AEW Dynamite Awards were developed with the fans in mind. The purpose of the awards show was to honor the viewers' loyalty and dedication to the show by allowing them to vote in 11 awards categories.

TNT (WarnerMedia) supported a branded microsite that allowed fans to vote in nomination categories like Best Moment on the Mic, Breakout Star Male & Female, and Biggest WTF Moment, allowing fans to have their voices heard. The remote event was livestreamed via the Bleacher Report app and later made available on TNT’s YouTube and social channels in addition to B/R & B/R Live.

The fans were included in the actual award show through a thank you montage to showcase the people who make it all possible. Storylines from the weekly AEW Dynamite show were upheld and continued throughout the awards show so it felt like a natural integration.

 

Results:

The AEW Dynamite Awards wasn’t just any awards show. It was created to celebrate the fans and why AEW was brought to life in the first place-- to give wrestling enthusiasts a show made by wrestlers. Developing the awards show with the fans in mind and including them in the process made them eager to interact and engage with the virtual livestream.

Through guest presenters, AEW was also able to reach fans in the large sports realm and create partnership opportunities with other entities. The awards show saw a combined 261.5K video views and 87.9K fan engagement across platforms. There were over 1.8K Twitter conversations about the awards and it has become a topic of conversation on the weekly AEW Dynamite show.

PRODUCTION

AEW, STN Digital

 

CREDITS

Founder, CEO
STN Digital
 
VP, Production & Creative Services
STN Digital
 
Digital Project Manager/ Producer
STN Digital
 
VP, Client Services
STN Digital
 
Director, Digital Content
WarnerMedia
 
Digital Producer
WarnerMedia
 
Sr.Manager, Creative Brand Marketing
WarnerMedia
 
Marketing Director
WarnerMedia

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