Sony Pictures Television launches new drama award at Rome’s MIA Market

Sony Pictures Television has created a new prize for Rome’s MIA Market, adding a studio-backed accolade to the international co-production forum’s drama showcase. The Sony Pictures Television Award will be given this week to the top project emerging from MIA’s Drama Coproduction Market & Pitching Forum, with a jury drawn from the studio selecting the winner. The move formalizes a partnership that also names the company an official sponsor of the drama section.

Organizers have positioned the award as a bridge between early-stage series and global buyers, offering recognition at a moment when projects are courting international partners. Market materials indicate the honor will spotlight the best drama pitch among the forum’s contenders, reinforcing MIA’s role as a conduit for cross-border television and giving the studio an early look at IP with travel potential.

This year’s edition runs Oct. 6–10 across central Rome venues, with more than 100 projects presented in film and TV, including 15 drama series competing for prime pitching slots. The market’s program balances financing conversations, works-in-progress showings, and research presentations with curated showcases spanning animation, docs, formats, and series, underscoring its function as both a rights bazaar and an incubator for new work.

The award arrives alongside a broader slate of new and returning prizes that seek to accelerate development across genres. Trade notices list additional recognitions for innovation and factual entertainment, while the ceremony roll-call places the Sony-backed honor within MIA’s expanding ecosystem of development incentives. The package reflects a competitive environment in which European markets are courting U.S. partners to offset financing gaps and to secure downstream distribution at the concept stage.

Event guidance says the prize will be presented on site by Sony Pictures Television leadership, signaling a hands-on approach to talent discovery at the forum. With buyers and commissioning editors converging during a crowded autumn calendar, the new award adds a marquee touchpoint for producers aiming to convert a successful pitch into a concrete pathway toward series orders and international sales.