“This is a bridge that unites two parallel worlds.” Oriol Querol, general director of the Kings League, smiles as he arrives for the traditional family photo before the Ondas Awards at the Albéniz Palace in Barcelona. The program is one of the winners (Best Entertainment Program) of this 70th edition and is the tip of the iceberg of new communication formats that are flooding televisions, mobile phones and digital tablets. “They wanted to confront us with the traditional media; But we didn’t want to change anything, we just wanted to live with them,” notes Querol. The judges recognized the program’s ability to “reinvent the rules of entertainment,” a consideration the executive director appreciated: “They were very brave to reward us.”
How do you live with the constant threat posed by the networks? “You have to know that users will always criticize you, good or bad,” replies Spursito, one of the presidents of the league and a reference streamer for the new generations. “The funny thing is that the users themselves ask us what they want and we then forward the content to them.” The competition rules themselves have been agreed with consumers, emphasizes Querol, which guarantees the proximity between sender and receiver. “It has always been said that radio is the medium closest to its listeners because they can call and go live immediately, but new technologies have made this possible in other formats,” he defends.
Silvia Intxaurrondo, awarded best presenter, has been working for years in the traditional world, on radio and television. He found out about his award while listening to the radio: “I was just listening to the news broadcast when they said my name. I was with my son and he told me: “They gave you a prize”; and I replied: “You gave me an ondas!” he tells his colleagues at Ser with a laugh. with.
Coque Malla arrives to meet the press of the Ondas 2023 Awards winners. Gianluca Battista
Content diversification also has its drawbacks. “Now there is no television show with millions of viewers that catapults you to stardom,” laments the singer Coque Malla, recognized for his “career as a national reference in pop-rock.” Wearing black, the first button of his shirt undone, tight trousers and sunglasses, the musician admits that culture and entertainment continue to spread through new channels, although he admits that networks have indirectly contributed to social polarization. “Now I no longer speak out publicly on non-musical topics and am calmer. If the debate were more civilized I would do it, but the delirium on the networks is so great that it seems impossible.”
Malla greets everyone who approaches her. He is one of the first to arrive and does not hide his enthusiasm for Ondas. “Look at the chicken that was created here!” he shares as he watches the crowd around him. “You always want to be successful, although when I didn’t have it I continued to play in venues with 10 people,” he says, pointing out the contradictions that awards bring: “Awards are a game we invented , to move forward.” “
Jorge Drexler, who won best show for the live performance of Tinta y Tiempo, his latest album, likes the phrase: “Coque is always right.” Awards bring joy, but it is important to enjoy joy in other aspects too to find.” In which ones? “In human contact, in concerts and the day after a job.” Sitting on a staircase in the garden, he admits that it is becoming increasingly “harder” for him to write, probably due to the equal weight of the creations that made him a star have catapulted. “You’re always trying to escape what you’ve been doing, and that becomes more and more difficult. And to create something, you have to escape from reason and abstract yourself. And it’s not easy.”
The awards will be presented this Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. at the Liceo de Barcelona. The winners also include the actress Úrsula Corberó (best actress for her role in the series El cuerpo en llamas) and the journalist Carlos del Amor, best presenter. Streamer Ibai Llanos, Special Jury Prize; The winners also included the program “Informe Semanal”, best current program, and the documentary “Unzué, l’últim equip del Juancar”, best documentary.
Marc Giró, in the middle, at the Albéniz Palace in Barcelona. Gianluca Battista
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