The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) awarded ORF and ARRI the Excellence in Media Award for their collaborative production of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. The project utilized 24 ARRI ALEXA 35 Live cameras and automated color look workflows to achieve cinematic aesthetics in a live broadcast environment.
The successful deployment of cinematic sensors in a massive live environment proves that high-end film aesthetics are no longer restricted to post-produced content. By automating 50 distinct color looks, ORF and ARRI have demonstrated that complex visual identities can be managed in real-time without compromising the reliability required for 131 million viewers. This shift signals a move away from off-the-shelf hardware toward bespoke, vendor-broadcaster co-development for flagship events. As public service media organizations prioritize visual differentiation to compete with streamers, watch for whether these automated LUT workflows become standard in smaller-scale sports and entertainment productions.
The ARRI ALEXA 35 Live camera system is increasingly being adopted to bridge the gap between cinematic aesthetics and high-stakes live broadcast requirements. Similar cinematic live production workflows are also gaining traction in other global markets.
The European Broadcasting Union awarded ORF and ARRI the 2026 Excellence in Media Award for their technical collaboration on the Eurovision Song Contest. By utilizing 24 ARRI ALEXA 35 Live cameras and automated color LUTs, the team successfully brought cinematic aesthetics to a live broadcast reaching 131 million viewers globally.
ORF and ARRI were honored with the 2026 Excellence in Media Award from the European Broadcasting Union for their technical work on the Eurovision Song Contest.
The production team deployed 24 ARRI ALEXA 35 Live cameras as part of a 28-camera total setup for the broadcast in Vienna.
The implementation of 50 custom-developed color look-up tables (LUTs) allowed the production to manage complex visual identities in real-time, proving that cinematic aesthetics can be achieved in high-stakes live environments.
In addition to ORF and ARRI, the production involved technical partners including Riedel, NEP, and Sennheiser.
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