Lockdown and the limitations on gatherings and events has driven those in the sports marketing and promotional space to have to adapt, digitise, dig deep and be more inventive than ever before.

Covid-19 has cost sport billions of rand in lost revenue both locally and globally. No live sporting events with supporters in attendance has meant limitations to sponsors, branding opportunities and fan engagement.

But the teams behind the teams, the innovators within the business of sport have once again shown true grit, resilience, and exceptional creativity over the last year. Despite persistent challenges, sports, brands, and campaigns continue to live, inspire and entertain through the pandemic.

The 2021 Hollard Sport Industry Awards will celebrate yet another year of ground-breaking innovation within the business of sport. Submissions are now open for work done between the 1 August 2020 and the 31 August 2021.

This year's awards are unique in that campaigns are all being judged on a level playing field, with agencies, organisations and sponsors all working within the same imposed constraints and limitations, while adopting innovative ways of executing campaigns and events.

2021 also introduces new categories and encompasses campaigns in and from Africa, to find and celebrate the enormous talent within our continent.

The 2021 Hollard Sport Industry Award categories include:

* Active & Wellbeing Award
* Audio Visual Content of The Year
* Brand or Sponsor of The Year
* Campaign of The Year
* Communications Award of The Year
* Event of the Year
* Event or Competition Sponsorship
* Fan Engagement Award
* Social and Environmental Impact Award
* The Cross-Border Award
* Young Agency of The Year
* Agency of The Year

This year the new category, The Cross-Border Award, is open to any organisation, anywhere in the continent, whose work uses a world-class creative approach and is something we can all admire. Entries can come from any size of organisation, but must demonstrate creativity that wows and encourages the sport industry at large to think differently.

"Sport's power to unite people across race, gender, age and culture and to tell stories of talent, grit and determination in the face of adversity has been so beautifully demonstrated by the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, despite the fact that in-person attendance was limited," says Heidi Brauer, Chief Marketing Officer of Hollard. "We've seen how sport breaks down barriers in order to build diverse communities, while also promoting physical and mental health and nurturing a spirit of resilience. It's a beautiful ecosystem for the creation of better futures, which is what Hollard is all about. We believe it's important to recognise and celebrate those who make these better futures possible through our continued sponsorship of these awards," she says.

A further four categories this year include awards nominated by the industry itself to recognise inspirational and effective leadership and lasting impact within the sports industry.

These include:

* Leadership in Sport Marketing
* Sport Industry Personality of the Year

* Sportsperson Lifetime Community Award
* Sport Lifetime Achievement Award

Submissions with supporting documents can be emailed to admin@creativespacemedia.co.za by 20 October 2021.

For more information about each category go to https://sportindustryawards.co.za/awards-2021/