Alongside her role as International Sales Director at The Washington Post, Emma Winchurch-Beale has been named as 2017 President of the World Media Group, a strategic alliance of the world’s leading international publications to which the Washington Post belongs. She takes over the year-long position from Rupert Turnbull, Vice President EMEA, Time Inc.

One of her first moves in this role is to announce a deadline extension for the World Media Group’s World Media Awards (WMAs) to February 23, 2017 in a bid to receive more entries from the Middle East & Africa region this year. The WMAs celebrate the effectiveness of cross platform, cross border and content-driven advertising.

“As the World Media Awards enter its second year, bigger and better than before, this is an exciting time to be Group President. In 2017 it’s important for the industry to understand the great richness and quality of today’s branded content and the huge value it can create for brands. We hope that the WMAs will provide inspiration to others and a benchmark for what international branded content should achieve – hence why we are offering one more week for people to enter the Awards and show off their great content-driven campaigns,” said Ms Winchurch-Beale.

While the entry to the WMAs is free, entrants have the option to make a voluntary donation to Reporters Without Borders. Ad campaigns must be content-driven and have intentionally targeted audiences in at least four countries, with 75 percent of activity having been implemented in 2016. All categories can be entered by advertisers and their media, PR and creative agencies while media owners are only permitted to enter the new Entertainment and Media category directly. There is no requirement for campaigns to have run in any of the World Media Group brands.

The Jury is presided over by three Co-Heads — Ian Armstrong, Global Advertising General Manager, Jaguar Land Rover, Sanjay Nazerali, Global Chief Strategy Officer with Carat, and Raquel Bubar, Director T Brand Studio International at The New York Times.

The winners will see their work celebrated in an advertising campaign valued at EU 500000 which will run across the World Media Group’s international media brands including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time, The New York Times, National Geographic, Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes, The Economist and Bloomberg.

The winners will be announced at the WMAs Reception at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on April 6, 2017.