Broadcaster e.tv has snubbed the upcoming Royalty Soapie Awards, the brainchild of Generations actress Winnie Modise.

The free-to-air channel, which turned 15 yesterday, is unconvinced about the event in the build-up to the awards’ inaugural staging in Durban on November 2.

Organisers announced the first batch of nominees – technical and creative categories – yesterday, with SABC’s 7de Laan, Generations and Isidingo, as well as M-Net’s Binneland and Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya dominating nominations.

But Scandal and Rhythm City will not be part of the gig.

The e.tv Group’s head of channels, Monde Twala, said yesterday: “[We’ve] declined to participate in this year’s Royalty Soapie Awards.”

He said: “The channel did not have sufficient information about the awards; its judging processes and overall objective. We have plans to meet with the organisers later this year to discuss the prospect of e.tv participating next year.”

Last year the channel pulled out of the SA Film and Television Awards, saying at the time “it is necessary to do so to achieve greater organisation cohesion”.

Popular SABC2 soapie Muvhango was nowhere to be seen in the nominations, but its spokesman, Kgalema Mametse, said the soapie had only submitted entries in the personality categories, which were yet to be revealed.

The Royalty Soapie Awards organisers said yesterday that more than 100 submissions had been received since entries officially opened on June 26, adding that “a representative judging panel comprising individuals with an affinity for the arts and experts in the TV production industry, photographers, actors, TV and radio personalities and entertainment media” would be selected. KPMG would overlook the judging process.

On September 2, The Times asked for a list of the judging panelists, which has still not been released.

Source: Times Live – Andile Ndlovu