Charlie Aspinwall and Daley Pearson, co-founders and directors of Ludo Studio, are the winners of the inaugural Variety Australia Entertainment 50.
Presented during the Mediaweek 100 in Sydney, the new Variety AU category celebrates the best in the business of producing innovative and original content, from producers to directors, writers, executives and more.
Ludo Studio is, of course, the engine room behind “Bluey,” one of the most popular shows on earth which, earlier in the week, collected an ARIA Award for Best Children’s Album, with “Dance Mode!.”
Aspinwall and Pearson beat out talent from Endemol Shine Australia, Live Nation, Amazon Studios, Screen Australia and others to snag the first annual award.
View this post on Instagram
The launch of Variety Australia Entertainment 50 follows Vinyl Group’s August 2024 acquisition of Mediaweek, which now boasts a refreshed editorial team.
Also on the day, Michael Miller, Executive Chairman of News Corp Australia, edged Melanie Silva, Managing Director and VP of Google Australia and New Zealand, for the top spot on the Mediaweek 100 list, curated by the Mediaweek team.
Meanwhile, Lou Barrett, News Corp’s Managing Director of Client Partnerships, was awarded the Mediaweek 100 Icon Award for her “exceptional achievements and enduring contributions to the media industry”, while Aimee Buchanan, CEO of media buying conglomerate GroupM for ANZ, was named the top media agency executive on the Mediaweek Agency 50 list.
The Mediaweek 100 counts-down Australia’s media leaders who have driven success, innovation and results over the past year, and this time featured 37 new entries, with 51 different companies and organisations represented.
“There have been immense challenges and changes across the media and entertainment sectors this year, so it’s been fascinating to put together these lists,” comments Frances Sheen, Mediaweek’s Head of Content.
“We had deep debates and discussions about the intent, impact and insight these rankings offer, and with our tweaked criteria, what has emerged is a comprehensive ranking of gamechangers, powerbrokers, innovators, disruptors and leaders.”
Presented by Variety Australia, the Mediaweek 100 and Media Agency 50, the Mediaweek 100 was hosted November 22st, 2024 at the Pearl Ballroom, Crown Sydney. Major partners included Vevo, News Corp Australia and FOXTEL Media.
“The Mediaweek 100 event is becoming an industry institution, and an important benchmark for tracking those who control the direction of the most influential media companies in the country,” adds Sheen.
“With the addition of the Variety Australia Entertainment 50, we can now offer the industry a comprehensive insight into the media and entertainment landscape in Australia.”
Guests at the lunchtime event included SCA CEO John Kelly, Foxtel Media CEO Mark Frain, Are Media CEO Jane Huxley, and GroupM CEO Aimee Buchanan.
Click here for the full Mediaweek 100 list.