The Indian Express Group has announced a major transformation of its iconic Screen Awards, taking the 2025 edition digital-first in partnership with YouTube. For the first time, the awards will be streamed globally, merging Bollywood’s biggest stars with YouTube’s most influential creators in a three-month-long celebration of cinema, storytelling, and fan engagement.
Executive Director of Indian Express Group, Anant Goenka, said the awards would honour creativity beyond box office numbers. “Our storytellers carry 1.4 billion dreams — rooted in tradition and racing toward an exciting future,” he remarked. Gunjan Soni, Managing Director, YouTube India, highlighted the platform’s role in bridging Bollywood and digital creators, describing YouTube as “the digital home for Screen Awards.”
With surging internet penetration, rapid Connected TV adoption, and soaring mobile consumption, YouTube has become India’s fastest-growing screen, reaching four out of five adult internet users. Curator Priyanka Sinha Jha emphasized the Screen Awards’ legacy of “firsts,” adding that the partnership with YouTube ushers in a new era of accessibility and credibility. Entertainment markets see this digital shift as a boon. Industry insiders note that YouTube-powered accessibility will bring Bollywood and creator-led content closer, mobile-first audiences, boosting advertising opportunities and cultural participation across the Northeast.
