The MM&M Awards marched confidently into its second decade earlier this month, as Medical Marketing & Media played host to its annual awards ceremony.

A who’s who of well over 700 industry guests packed New York’s elegant Cipriani 42nd St. to salute some of the most memorable and effective work in healthcare marketing and communications. For the first time, the program also honored the people and agencies behind that work.

The night’s surprise special guest speaker, Her Excellency Toyin Saraki, collected MM&M’s inaugural Platinum Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare. The Nigerian philanthropist and activist, who has done much over the last two decades to improve maternal and child health for Africans, gave an impassioned speech about the state of healthcare in her country, and urged the sell-out crowd of medical marketers to leverage their skills to drive private-sector demand for public health services. It was a lean-forward moment.

Funnyman Ralph Harris again served as Master of Ceremonies, calling up the presenters with comedic flair and keeping the audience engaged throughout all 63 honors—double the amount doled out last year. These included an impressive three golds and a silver for Interpublic’s FCB Health, while inVentiv’s GSW also took home three golds, including Large Healthcare Agency of the Year.