GO this week celebrated the success of its streaming platform Tokis by hosting the first-ever Tokis Awards.
The awards, determined by 15,000 public votes, celebrated winners across eight categories: best female actress, best male actor, best director, best theme song, best new talent, most popular production overall, most viewed production on Tokis and most viewed production on GO Originals.
Alison Mercieca, head of marketing at GO, said: “We launched Tokis with our customers in mind.
“They love Maltese drama, and we delivered more of what they enjoy. Who better to determine the winners than the audience themselves? Over the past months, we’ve received tremendous engagement, collecting 15,000 votes across all categories. This reaffirms how much our customers love the content we provide.”
The star-studded ceremony featured performances by Maltese stars Ira Losco, Aidan Cassar and Shaun Farrugia, alongside comedic acts by the duo Danusan. The awards were presented by local veterans in the industry.
€5m investment in Maltese productions
During the ceremony, GO CEO Nikhil Patil announced an increased investment of €5 million in Maltese production houses over the coming years, following an initial €2.4 million investment in 2022. This financial boost will support the production of original TV content, with exclusive airing on GO’s Tokis platform.
Patil highlighted the platform’s rapid growth. He said: “Two years ago, we had a dream of bringing our stories, our culture, and our love for Maltese drama to life. From that dream, Tokis was born, and it has been an incredible journey for both us and the thousands of customers who love Maltese content.”
With a monthly viewership of 5.4 million, Tokis is now one of Malta’s most popular channels. The platform, which started with Maltese drama, has expanded into discussion shows and promises a broader range of content. Patil also revealed that the GO TV app will soon be available to Maltese expatriates across three continents, further expanding the audience for Maltese productions.
“As demand for local content continues to grow, we are committed to supporting the industry,” Patil said. “We have the technology, the resources and the passion to deliver even more high-quality Maltese content.”
Award highlights
Best female actress: Lara Azzopardi for her role in Ċaqqufa
Best male actor: Fabian Scerri De Carlo
Best director: Jason Zerafa for Mejta Biex Ngħix
Best theme song: Claudia Faniello for Noli
Best new talent: Jeanelle Spiteri for Luna
Most popular production overall and most viewed production on Tokis: Simpatiċi (marking its 25th anniversary)
Most viewed GO Originals production: Noli