Categories
What the edition
54 categories in three families, kept deliberately narrow so each one can be judged against criteria written for it. Five further honours are derived from the results or selected by the Grand Jury, and cannot be entered.
01Agency Awards
12 categories
Judged on the agency over the eligibility year rather than on a single piece of work: the body of work, the business behind it, the client relationships and the people. One entry per category.
( 01 — 04 )- Creative Agency of the YearCreative strength, business momentum and client impact.
- Integrated Agency of the YearStrength across disciplines, and integrated business impact.
- Digital Agency of the YearDigital-first strategy, platforms, content and technology.
- Independent Agency of the YearIndependent ownership, quality of work, sustainable growth.
- Media Agency of the YearMedia strategy, planning, innovation and effectiveness.
- PR & Communications Agency of the YearEarned influence, reputation and stakeholder strategy.
- Brand & Design Agency of the YearIdentity, design systems, brand transformation and craft.
- Performance Marketing Agency of the YearAcquisition, growth, commerce and measurable performance.
- Social & Content Agency of the YearSocial strategy, creator ecosystems and community impact.
- Specialist Agency of the YearA focused specialism not represented elsewhere.
- Emerging Agency of the YearAgencies founded within the last five years.
- Production Company of the YearFilm and content craft, capability and body of work.
02Brand Awards
20 categories
Entered by the brand rather than by its agency, and judged on the marketing team's own year: what it built, the business behind it, and how the team is run. One entry per category.
( 02 — 04 )Brand Excellence
- Brand Excellence of the YearAn exceptional year of brand building, relevance and business impact.
- Emerging Brand of the YearA young brand with strong momentum and distinctive positioning.
- Challenger Brand of the YearA brand successfully challenging category conventions or leaders.
- Regional Brand of the YearA South India-rooted brand with exceptional strength, relevance and growth.
- Legacy Brand of the YearAn established brand that remains relevant, distinctive and culturally meaningful.
Brand Growth & Transformation
- Brand Transformation of the YearAn outstanding repositioning, rebrand or broader transformation.
- Brand Growth of the YearExceptional business growth supported by brand and marketing strategy.
- Brand Expansion of the YearSuccessful entry into new markets, audiences, categories or geographies.
- Brand Turnaround of the YearA brand that reversed decline, changed perception or regained momentum.
Innovation & Experience
- Brand Innovation of the YearInnovation that strengthened the brand or the customer proposition.
- Customer Experience Brand of the YearAn exceptional and distinctive customer experience.
- Digital Brand Experience of the YearExcellence in digital platforms, products or experiences that engage customers.
- Brand Commerce ExcellenceConnecting brand building with commerce and customer conversion.
Culture & Impact
Brand Teams
- Marketing Team of the YearThe in-house team behind an exceptional year of brand and business performance.
- In-house Creative Team of the YearAn internal creative team producing outstanding and effective work.
- Brand Leadership Team of the YearLeadership that advanced the brand, the marketing organisation and the business.
Special Brand Recognition
03Work & Campaign Awards
22 categories
Judged on the work itself, each category against criteria written for it. A single piece may be entered in more than one category where it genuinely belongs in each.
( 03 — 04 )- Integrated CampaignOne central idea, executed meaningfully across channels.
- Film & VideoAdvertising film, online film and moving-image craft.
- Digital ExperienceWeb, app, platform or digital-first experience.
- Social MediaPlatform-native strategy, content, community or idea.
- Content MarketingSustained content strategy or editorial ecosystem.
- Branded EntertainmentEntertainment-led branded work, series, formats and IP.
- Influencer & Creator MarketingCreator strategy with an authentic role and real outcome.
- Media Strategy & InnovationMedia thinking, partnerships, formats or use of data.
- Performance & GrowthMeasurable acquisition, conversion or growth.
- Commerce & RetailCommerce, marketplace, retail media and shopper.
- Experiential & ActivationOn-ground or hybrid brand experience and activation.
- OOH & AmbientOutdoor, DOOH, ambient and place-based work.
- PR & Earned ImpactEarned-first communications and reputation outcomes.
- Brand Identity & DesignIdentity systems, rebrands, packaging and visual transformation.
- Launch / RelaunchA new brand, product or service, or a material relaunch.
- B2B MarketingWork aimed at business audiences and decision makers.
- Purpose & Social ImpactPurpose work with demonstrated relevance and integrity.
- Regional Language ExcellenceA South Indian language central to the idea, not translated into it.
- Local Culture & InsightWork rooted meaningfully in South Indian culture and context.
- AI, Data & Technology InnovationTechnology materially contributing to idea or outcome.
- Small Budget, Big ImpactHigh impact under constrained media or production budgets.
- New Brand / ChallengerBreakthrough work for emerging and challenger brands.
The standard
Entering a category does not create an award in it. Where the jury finds no eligible entry has met the standard, the category closes with No Award on a recorded vote.