Cannes – Nominations for the 40th International Emmy Awards have been announced by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at MIPCOM. There are 38 nominees in 9 categories. Winners will receive their awards at the 40th International Emmy Awards Gala on November 19 in New York City.

Some of the nominees from Asia are Singapore-based The Group Entertainment’s The Kitchen Musical for Best Drama Series; Singapore’ Imagine Group Pte Ltd and The Group Entertainment’s The Challenger Muay Thai for Best Non Scripted Entertainment; The Amazing Race Australia, co-produced by Seven Productions-Seven Network (Operations) Ltd., active TV and ABC Studios Australia; ICAC Investigators from Radio Television Hong Kong and the Independent Commission Against Corruption; and Thailand-based Workpoint Entertainment’s Wittaya Subprayuth for the Kids: Non Scripted Entertainment category, which also won the award for Best Game Or Quiz Programme at the Asian Television Awards in 2011.

Hong Kong-based Lightning International is the distributor of three of these titles, namely The Kitchen Musical, The Challenger Muay Thai and ICAC Investigators.

James Ross, CEO, Lightning International, tells TV ASIA Plus, “It reflects our philosophy of marketing great content that we would get 4 nominations at the International Emmys. It’s a credit to the producers behind this show and the standards of production that is of international excellence.”

The 2012 International Emmy competitions have three rounds of judging over a period of six months, with participation from jurors across 67 countries. Nominations span 15 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain and The United Kingdom.