Diageo India CEO Praveen Someshwar joins Grand Jury of Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity

In a move that bridges advertising and corporate leadership communities, Praveen Someshwar, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Diageo India, has joined the Grand Jury of the inaugural Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity. It marks a significant endorsement of the awards’ intent: to celebrate work that not only demonstrates creative brilliance but also cultural and strategic impact in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Enter the awards: Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity

The Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity aim to convene the country’s most forward-thinking creative minds, agencies, brands and storytellers. With categories spanning traditional advertising, digital innovation, design craft, purpose-driven campaigns and emerging formats such as AI, gaming and influencer collaborations, the awards reflect the complexity and fragmentation of modern creative expression. Submissions will be judged on their originality, cultural resonance, strategy and measurable impact, with entries accepted from work released throughout 2025 and a deadline of January 30, 2026 for participation. 

A New Era of Creative Recognition

The Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity were designed in response to profound shifts in how audiences consume and interact with media. The proliferation of social platforms, short-form video, immersive technologies and creator economies has expanded the definition of what counts as effective brand communication. Against this backdrop, the awards seek to establish rigorous standards that honour both craft and relevance — rewarding campaigns that influence culture, spark conversations or advance brand purpose in meaningful ways.

Jurors for the platform are drawn from diverse sectors, reflecting the cross-disciplinary nature of contemporary creative work. Their role will be to evaluate entries not solely on aesthetic and creative quality but on strategic insight, audience connection and cultural impact.

Praveen Someshwar: From Business Leadership to Creative Stewardship

Praveen Someshwar brings to the jury a rich background in business leadership and strategic transformation. In early 2025, he was appointed as Managing Director and CEO of Diageo India, succeeding Hina Nagarajan, who transitioned to a global role within the Diageo Group.

Before joining Diageo India — which operates one of the largest spirits portfolios in the country, Someshwar spent five years as the Managing Director and CEO of HT Media. Prior to that, he enjoyed a long tenure at PepsiCo, where he held several senior roles in general management, finance and strategy across India and the Asia Pacific region. 

His career arc — spanning consumer goods, media and now beverages — highlights a deep engagement with brand strategy, consumer insight and organisational transformation. It also positions him to bring a business-oriented perspective to the evaluation of creative work, especially in an era where creativity and commercial outcomes are closely entwined.

Judging Creativity in Today’s Age

The inclusion of top executives like Someshwar on the grand jury signals a broader evolution in how creativity is assessed. In the current era, effective creative work transcends execution alone; it must be anchored in strategic thinking, audience understanding and measurable outcomes.

For brand leaders, this means embracing creativity not as an isolated aesthetic practice but as a business driver — one that influences market share, consumer loyalty and cultural relevance. Jurists with deep business experience — such as Someshwar — are therefore valuable in distinguishing between campaigns that merely look and sound good and those that advance broader organisational goals.

With brands increasingly acting as storytellers, publishers and cultural participants, the boundaries between commerce and creativity have blurred. Garnering entries that resonate across platforms and formats demands judges who appreciate both artistry and strategic efficacy.

Apply now: Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity

The Broader Creative Landscape

The advertising and marketing communications sectors have undergone a period of rapid transformation. Digital media consumption is rising sharply, driven by mobile penetration and the popularity of short-form video. Platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and regional language digital channels have democratized creative production, enabling creators and brands to experiment with new formats and strategies.

Similarly, brand storytelling is no longer restricted to traditional ad formats. From immersive experiences to cause-oriented messages and influencer-driven narratives, creativity today must navigate complexity while remaining authentic and compelling. The Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity are structured to capture this breadth, offering categories that recognise innovation, executional craft and cultural resonance in equal measure.

Looking Ahead

With his diverse professional background and strong business acumen, Someshwar’s participation on the grand jury adds depth to the awards’ adjudication framework. His experience leading large organisations — and now navigating the challenges of a regulated and competitive spirits market — brings a unique lens to the evaluation of creative work that stands out not just for its imagination but for its impact.

The awards and the jury’s collective views on creativity will be featured and amplified across CNBC-TV18 and Network18’s leading brands including Moneycontrol, Forbes India, CNN-News18 and Firstpost.

As the industry prepares to submit its most remarkable work of 2025, the Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity promise to be a key milestone in the evolution of Indian brand communication — setting benchmarks for excellence that reflect both artistic merit and strategic relevance.  

Read more about the awards here.