MUMBAI: The best came, saw and conquered.

Indiantelevision.com's The MTR Indian Telly Awards held tonight at the Tulip Star in Mumbai had the best of talent from the television industry coming together to celebrate excellence in their respective fields. It was a night when top channel executives rubbed shoulders with prominent advertising and media professionals, glamorous on-screen stars mingled with technical and creative heads who lend sheen and sizzle to the small screen.

The evening crackled with anticipation, excitement and delight, as several heart-stopping acts interspersed the actual ceremony of presentation of the much-awaited awards.

Farooque Sheikh presents the CEO of the year award to Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea
Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea was adjudged CEO of the year and top contenders, Balaji Telefilms and UTV shared the honours for the TV Production House of the Year award. Star Plus walked away with the title of Entertainment Channel of the Year and Aaj Tak was adjudged the News Channel for the year 2002. MTV turned up trumps as the Music Channel of the Year and Zee Cinema, which revamped itself in a slicker, sleeker look last year was adjudged Hindi Movie channel of the Year.

TV actress Sangeeta Ghosh dances to a Punjabi tune

Anchored by Smriti Malhotra Irani, Mandira Bedi, Simone Singh, Rakshanda Khan, Shweta Salve and Shweta Kawatra, the glittering, star studded function was interspersed with some dazzling performances by Amrita Arora, Aasma, Sangeeta Ghosh, Sukhbir, Perizaad Zorabian, Shaan and Gracy Singh, who performed for the first time on stage.

Fierce competition saw the most coveted awards - the best actor in the male and female 

categories being shared by two contenders each. Shivaji Satam, who plays ACP Pradyuman on Sony's CID and Aman Verma, who plays Aditya Pratap in Star Plus' Kehta Hai Dil shared the honours for the Best Actor of the Year (Male), while Saakshi Tanwar, better known as Parvati of Star Plus' Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii and Smriti Z Irani, a familiar face as Tulsi of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Thi on Star Plus, were jointly adjudged the Best Actor of the Year (Female). Unfortunately, three of the four stars were not present to receive the awards. Reportedly, Shivaji Satam was out of town, Aman Varma was canvassing for BJP in Delhi and Sakshi Tanwar was busy in a shooting schedule of her serial Devi.

Star Plus' Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand walked away with the TV Programme of the Year honours, while the face of Indian television today, Smriti Z Iraani was honoured with the TV personality of the year award. Founder of the ETV empire, Ramoji Rao was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his immense contribution to the growth of the Indian television industry. The award was handed over to Rao by Indiantelevision.com CEO Anil Wanvari at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad over last weekend.

The fiercely competitive genre of best continuing TV programme had two joint winners - Sab TV's hilarious take on office life, Office Office, and Star Plus' engaging family drama, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Kyunki Saas... also bagged the prestigious daily serial of the year award, while Star Plus' Sanjivani, the emotional story of doctors in love, and Des Mein...., another Star Plus soap about family values and conflicts, was conferred the honour of the Best Weekly Serial of 2002.

Farooque Sheikh was adjudged TV anchor of the year for Zee's Jeena Isika Naam Hai while Prabhu Chawla was conferred the News Anchor of the Year award for his work on Aaj Tak. Pankaj Kapur, who plays Musaddilal in Sab TV's Office Office got the best TV actor in a comic role (male), and Supriya Pathak as Hansa Parekh on Star Plus' Khichdi got the best TV actor in a comic role (female) award. While Urvashi Dholakia was adjudged Best TV actor in a negative role as Komolika in Kasautii Zindagi Kay, the award for Best TV actor in a negative role (male) was shared by Mohnish Behl (Sony's Devi) and Manoj Joshi (Star Plus' Kehta Hai Dil). Hansika Motwani as Tina of Des Mein bagged the child artiste of the year award.

Ekta Kapoor cheers after announcing Star Plus as the channel of the year

Sahara Manoranjan's Kadam won in two categories - the Best TV programme with a social message and Best TV programme (Single Episodic series). Sab TV's political satire Public Hai Sab Janti Hai won it the Best TV Sitcom/ Comedy Programme of the Year award. Reality Bites- The Petrol Pump Scam won NDTV and Star News the best current affairs programme of the year award, while Storyboard fetched CNBC-TV18 the best business programme of the year award.

Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa won the Music Programme of the Year award and the NDTV produced Sports Tonight fetched Star News the award for the best sports programme of the year. While Synergy Communications' Mastermind India for BBC World was honoured with the Game Show of the year award, Optymistix's Khullja Sim Sim on Star Plus won a special award on behalf of Indiantelevision.com.

Indiantelevison.com CEO Anil Wanvari with CNBC's Vandana Malik

Jasoos Vijay, the BBC World Service Trust produced detective series on Doordarshan's National channel bagged the Thriller Programme of the Year award, and Taurus Video's Son Pari for Star Plus was adjudged the Kids' Programme of the Year. Fireworks Productions' Achanak - 37 Saal Baad on Sony, the spine chilling tale of a killer who gains immortality via his victims, was declared the Horror Programme of the Year.

A Miditech creation, Kuch Yaadein Kuch Baatein on Star Gold got the Best Film based Show of the Year award, and NDTV's Unsung Heroes of Gujarat got Star News the TV Documentary of the Year award.

NDTV's Reality Bites - Mental Health got the Non Fiction Programme of the Year award. MTV's Fully Faltoo won for the Best Comic Shorts of the Year.

Among the personality awards, veteran poet Naqsh Lyallpuri won the TV Lyricist of the Year for Shikwah on Doordarshan. Shaan for Zee's Lipstick and Lalit Sen for Star Plus for Kaahin Kissii Roz jointly shared the honours for TV Music Director of the year award. Sukhvinder Singh bagged the Best Title Singer for a TV Show award for Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand while the award for Best Director was shared by Sourabh Narang for Haqeeqat and Aroona Irani for Des Mein.... Haqeeqat fetched Sahara another award for scriptwriter Charudatt Acharya.

Says Indiantelevision.com and The Indian Telly Awards Founder Anil Wanvari: "The fantastic response from industry clearly shows that The MTR Indian Telly Awards are the the industry's awards. The Indian Telly Awards are all about celebrating excellence, the best in television today. We at Indiantelevision.com believe we did exactly that in the awards' third edition."

The Indian Telly Awards have MTR Foods as the main title sponsor, while Zandu, Tata Safari and ---are the associate sponsors. The MTR Indian Telly Awards also has Hindustan Times as media partner, Radio City as the radio partner, Bright Advertising as the outdoor partner. Spirits are provided by the UB group.