Virtual awards event celebrates the next generation of talent in the advertising industry.

[Tuesday 6th October 2020] - Toronto, ON - On Thursday, October 29, from 4-5 pm ET, The Canadian Media Directors’ Council (CMDC) Youth Ambassadors will be hosting the 2020 Impact Awards - a first-of-its-kind live-streamed awards event on Twitch. Originally launched in 2017, this year marks the 3rd award show for the CMDC Youth Ambassadors Program. This year's theme is “Impact,” which was chosen to reflect what all our winners will have in common - commitment and passion for making a difference in our media community.

The output is an experience unlike any other. The Youth Ambassadors’ collaborated with top gaming experts to bring about a partnership with Twitch and Rumble Gaming, creating an immersive entertainment experience.

“COVID-19 has driven new audiences into the gaming space, which has pushed the industry forward into a creative forum for entertainment and a key meeting place for virtual communities,” says Alessia Grosso, Strategy Director at Cossette Media and Youth Ambassador for the CMDC. “From Animal Crossing integrations to Fortnite’s Astronomical, and more recently Burberry’s Twitch live-stream, it is clear that virtual gatherings on gaming platforms are here to stay. Our goal as Youth Ambassadors is to have a pulse on emerging trends, and leverage these to create an event that is authentic, relevant and engaging for our youth audience.”

“Our future rests on the next generation. This is why, even amidst a global pandemic, we are committed to educating, inspiring and celebrating young, bright media talent,” says Shannon Lewis, President at CMDC. “Given the pandemic, we brought all the Youth Ambassador media minds together and treated the awards as a strategic brief - allowing us to modernize and swiftly rethink our programming while still shining a spotlight on the media leaders of tomorrow.”

Stuart Garvie, CEO GroupM and CMDC Chair adds, "The future success of our industry requires that we find ways to cultivate and integrate the transformational thinking of the younger generations into our work; the CMDC YA program is an effective tool in channeling the enthusiasm and diversity of thinking of next generation talent in the media community.”

The show will recognize 10 individuals across 10 categories. Nominations are open to individuals with less than five years experience, except our highly anticipated award for Media Leader of the Year. Nominations are open and complimentary to all media agencies, marketers and partners. All winners will be recognized at the award show and win our Youth Ambassador Award, alongside an opportunity to be mentored by a CMDC board member.

Nominations for the Impact Awards will be open until October 15th. We look forward to welcoming our agency partners, sponsors, and industry peers to the 2020 Future Impact Awards - find more information here.