The maiden edition of Social Media Awards (SMA), an event to honor individuals and organizations that have used social media in innovative and impactful ways is scheduled to hold in Lagos on Sept. 17.
Mr. Emmanuel Nwafor, Chief Executive Officer of Alternative Adverts Ltd. and convener of the awards disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to Nwafor, having bagged the trademark and copyright for the award since 2018, he has decided to begin the awards ceremony.
He said the nomination process would commence June 14 and close June 30, as he encouraged the public to nominate individuals or organizations for the awards.
According to him, winners of the awards will be determined through online voting which would hold from July 1 to Aug. 31.
“We are excited to announce the 2023 Social Media Awards, celebrating the amazing work being done across various social media platforms.
“A lot has happened in about three years from 2020 ENDSARS to the 2023 general elections, and social media has been the battleground. It is time to call the results of who did what and who deserves the awards.
“The website for nominations and voting is www.sma.ng. It is going to be the most transparent and credible award in Nigeria.
“This award will be given to individuals, brands, organizations, or campaigns that have demonstrated excellence in social media strategy, content creation, audience engagement, or community building.
“By recognizing excellence in social media, these awards serve as a means of highlighting best practices, inspiring others to innovate, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the field,” he said.
Nwafor said with close observation of trends in the various social media spaces, the platform had proven to be a veritable tool for positive transformation and must be upheld.
He said with the rise of social media platforms, it had become an increasingly important aspect of modern communication, marketing, and culture.
“This award is a movement to enhance excellence. This has come to unleash the hidden or undiscovered potential to inspire a continuous higher realm of creativity and innovation.
“It will also serve as an initiative to recognize leaders in the industry and create a platform for business networking opportunities among Nigerians.
“Some of the award categories to feature in this maiden edition are most innovative use of social media, most popular skit on social media, social media influencer of the Year, best entertainment video content, and more.
“Winners of some of the categories would be walking away with some juicy prizes to encourage them,” he said.
Nwafor called on interested corporate organizations and individuals to come on board and sponsor the awards program.
