Bright lights and high-stakes fashion arrived at the Goldencenter in Buenos Aires on Thursday as the Asociación de Periodistas de la Televisión y la Radiofonía Argentinas (APTRA) hosted the twelfth edition of the Martín Fierro de Cable awards to honor the top achievements in Argentine pay television for 2025, according to Clarín and Caras.
TN and A24 Lead Nominations as APTRA Limits Speech Length
- TN and A24 dominated the evening’s nominations with 21 entries each, followed closely by C5N with 12 and Crónica TV with 10.
- APTRA implemented a strict 45-second limit on acceptance speeches, enforced by a buzzer, to keep the broadcast moving.
- Marina Calabró and Sergio Lapegüe hosted the main ceremony, while Paula Varela and Guido Zaffora managed the red carpet arrivals.
Marina Calabró and Hosts Wear Black at the Red Carpet
Infobae reported that Marina Calabró wore a black strapless gown designed by Claudio Cossano featuring gold embroidery and transparency details, complemented by a metallic clutch. Co-host Sergio Lapegüe wore a black tuxedo with satin lapels.
Caras said that Débora Plager chose a black smoking-style suit entirely embroidered in the same tone, designed by Marian Saud and paired with Jean Pierre Joyeros white and black diamond jewelry. Paula Varela opted for a steel-gray silk crepe dress with asymmetrical cuts by León Varela, accessorized with white gold and diamond pieces.
Other notable red carpet arrivals included Luis Novaresio in a black satin-lapel suit alongside Braulio Bauab, and Baby Etchecopar attending with Silvina Cupeiro, who wore a satin electric blue dress following Etchecopar’s recent medical recovery and discharge, as reported by Clarín.
Luis Ventura Defends Argentine Media and Enforces Speech Limits
As the ceremony commenced inside the Goldencenter, APTRA president Luis Ventura took the podium to defend the domestic broadcasting sector. Luis Ventura claimed that Argentine media outlets are “the best in the world,” expressing pride in the organization’s awards despite outside criticism.
To curb prolonged speeches that bogged down previous industry events like the radio counterparts, APTRA instituted a strict 45-second cap for winners on stage, utilizing an audible buzzer when time expired. Early winners included Ariel Tarico, who secured the humor category trophy for his work on TN programs Sólo una vuelta más and Tarico Fake News, defeating Roberto Peña and Romina Scalora.
Additional early awards went to Mi País on Argentina 12 for cultural programming, Paso a Paso on TyC Sports for sports programming, Mandinga Tattoo on Canal de la Ciudad for arts and fashion, and Rodolfo Cingolani as top panelist.
