NEM Zagreb, which will run from 10-12 December, has announced the line-up of industry experts who will judge the second edition of the NEM Awards, which celebrate the best content originating from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The jury, comprising leading figures in television content, includes chief content officers, acquisition managers, executive producers and screenwriters. The professionals will assess submissions in various categories, offering recognition for outstanding achievements in TV production.

The competition is still open for submissions in two key categories (see the website). The Council of Europe Series Co-production Development Award, which has a submission deadline of 17 October, is accepting projects in development from Eurimages member states, with the winning entry receiving a prize of €50,000. The top ten selected projects will be awarded a “Badge Zagreb”. Meanwhile, the Best Finished TV Series in the CEE Award is open to series that have aired or been streamed in the CEE region between 15 September 2023 and 15 October 2024. The submission deadline for this category is 24 October. All entries in this strand will receive two Badge Zagreb passes. Submissions are free for eligible projects from the region.

The jury for this year's awards brings together notable figures from diverse fields within the industry. Among the members are Aleš Pavlin, managing partner at PERFO doo; Alex Traila, programme manager for the Pilot Programme for Series Co-productions at the Council of Europe; Anna Rohde, international creative executive at Beta Film; Anke Stoll, SVP of acquisitions and co-productions at Keshet International; Blanca Escoda Agusti, script consultant at Decoding Stories; Catherine Gaucher, manager of international fiction co-productions and acquisitions at France TV; Danna Stern, executive producer and global content executive; David CH Østerbøg, executive producer; Denis Karam, CEO of Proudcloud Productions; and Elma Tataragić, writer and producer. Other members include Emmauel Eckert, deputy acquisitions director at Mediawan Rights; Faruk Guven, head of TRT Sinema at TRT; Filip Bobinski, producer, showrunner and CEO of Dramedy Productions; Iva Pantelić, head of feature content production at Telekom Srbija; Krzysztof Tyszowiecki, producer and writer at TVP; Larry Bass, CEO and executive producer at ShinAwil Productions; Lenka Szántó, creative producer at TV NOVA/VOYO; Marija Vičić, executive director at Two Rivers; Marina Chikalovets, format sales manager at Talpa Studios; Marina Garović, head of content sales at Telekom Srbija; Marc Lorber, executive producer at The Art of Coproduction; Marina Williams, chief content officer and co-founder of Asacha Media Group; Natalija Gorščak, president of the management board at RTV Slovenia; Nigel McCrery, screenwriter; Oleksandrina Vyshneska, development executive tutor at the MIDPOINT Institute; Peter Nadermann, producer and managing director at Nadcon Film; Phil Nodding, screenwriter; Simona Nobile, screenwriter and script consultant; Steve Matthews, content executive at Banijay; Tom Coan, executive producer at Universal International Studios; Vladimir Brnardić, documentary editor at Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT); Zane Valeniece, head of acquisitions at LTV Film Department, Latvian Television; and Zoltán Nevelos, head of acquisitions at MTVA.

Phil Nodding, known for his award-winning work on the BAFTA-winning TV series Shameless, expressed his excitement about being part of the judging panel: “In my writing, producing and lecturing work, I have always enjoyed collaborating creatively with writers, producers and students from across Europe – and so it is pleasing to see that this year's focus is on fostering creative connections. I've co-written TV shows with writers from other European countries and from other parts of the UK, and I'm excited to play a small part in choosing this year's worthy winners of the finished projects category. December should be fun!”

The awards ceremony will take place during the NEM Zagreb 2024 event, at the Esplanade Hotel, Zagreb, in the presence of industry leaders. Awards will be granted in three categories: the Best Pre-development Project Award, recognising script ideas across scripted series, feature-length films, documentaries and entertainment formats; the Council of Europe Series Co-production Development Award; and the Best Finished TV Series in the CEE Award, which acknowledges top completed drama series from the region.

NEM Zagreb, established in 2019, seeks to enhance the TV industry in the CEE by creating opportunities for co-productions, acquisitions and investments in original content. The event is co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme.