Sruthi Hariharan, Suman Ranganathan and others launch Radio City Cine Awards 2017
Celebs at the launch of Radio City Cine Awards 2017.PR Handout

Radio City Cine Awards Kannada 2017, initiated by Radio City 91.1FM, was launched by some of the popular names from Sandalwood on Monday, 25 September, at Mantri Square, Bangalore.

Sruthi Hariharan, Suman Ranganathan, Radhika Chethan, Sharmila Mandre, Sangeeta Bhat, Neethu Shetty, Manvitha Harish, Sparsha Rekha, Karunya Raam and Hitha Chandrashekar along with actor Srinagar Kitty were part of the glittering event hosted by RJs like Pradeepa and Nethra.

At the launch of the event, Abraham Thomas, CEO, Radio City said "Very few award platforms aim to empower the consumer and recognize talent based on public opinion. We are certain that Radio City Cine Awards will not only be a platform for our listeners and the audience to choose their favourite artistes, but will also be a catalyst between Kannada stars and their fans."

He further added, "We extend our best wishes to all the artists and technicians who have made 2017 an entertaining year for Kannadigas and look forward to felicitating them at the grand finale."

Commenting on the launch of the Radio City Cine Awards, Suman Ranganathan said "Movies are intrinsic to our culture and amongst the most common forms of entertainment in Karnataka and the rest of India. Radio City Cine Awards is a great initiative by Radio City that not only provides recognition to artistes and technicians who have worked hard through the year but also empowers the listeners by allowing them to nominate and vote for their favourite celebrities. I am certain that Radio City Cine Awards will go a long way in upholding the trust of listeners and enable them to show their immense passion towards the Kannada film industry."

Through this one of a kind initiative, Radio City Cine Awards Kannada aims to strengthen the connection between the listeners and their favourite celebrities. Nominees and winners will be determined based on public voting which will be available via traditional mediums on-air, SMS, and new-age mediums Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp. The unique selection process will allow listeners from every nook and corner of the city to participate in the voting process.

The favourite celebrities will be nominated under 10 different categories like Favourite Actor, Favourite Actress, Favourite Director, Favourite Lyricist, Favourite Music Composer, Favourite Singer (Male), Favourite Singer (Female), Favourite Comedian, Favourite Cinematographer and Favourite Movie.

The voting for the public has been started. This will culminate into a grand award night on-air where the winners will be announced and felicitated. Listeners from Bangalore can vote through WhatsApp by sending a message to the number- 9310111911 and cast their votes directly on the website: Radiocity.in

To make the celebration a grand event, Radio City has kick-started the 6th year of 'Studio Ratha', an annual celebration of Dussehra in Bangalore. Radio City's most popular morning show 'Aithalakdi Mornings' will be aired live for 5 days from the Ratha and the listeners will get a chance to meet their favourite RJ's and go on air from the Studio Ratha.

Many renowned celebrities from Bangalore will be a part of the Studio Ratha along with the RJ's, to interact with the fans. The activity will be spanning for 5 days, covering Bangalore Ka Kona Kona which started from 25th September.