Shams Award jury approves 2nd edition winners

January 15, 2026 / 9:33 PM

Sharjah 24: The jury for the second edition of the Shams Award for Arab Content has approved the winning entries after completing the screening, assessment and judging rounds. Submissions were evaluated according to strict professional standards, including production quality, originality, strength of concept, and cultural and social impact.

Strong participation from across the Arab world

The second edition recorded wide participation from content creators and creatives across the Arab world, with 1,210 entries submitted. This reflects the diversity of the Arab creative scene and the growing stature of the award.

Distinguished jury of media and arts professionals

The jury included prominent Arab figures in media and the arts: Dr Habib Ghuloom, Tarek El Shennawy, Yara Sabri, Malek Maktabi and Ahmed Salem bin Samnooh. The panel carefully reviewed all submissions and selected the winners based on agreed evaluation criteria.

Award categories for the second edition

Entries were submitted across eight main categories: Best Short Film, Best AI-Generated Video, Best Content Creator, Best Arab Podcast, Best Unproduced Film Screenplay, Best Unproduced Television Series Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress for 2025.

Winners to be announced at special ceremony

The winners will be revealed during a special celebration on the evening of January 25, attended by content producers, media professionals and stakeholders from the media and creative sectors.

Supporting emerging Arab talent and media excellence

The Shams Award for Arab Content is one of Sharjah Media City’s (Shams) flagship initiatives. It aims to support emerging Arab talent and foster a media ecosystem based on high professional standards, creating new opportunities for growth and professional development and enhancing the competitiveness of Arab media regionally and globally.