Now in its 47th year, the AWARD Awards are APAC's most prestigious creative awards program, recognising excellence across advertising, design, craft, film, entertainment, strategy and more.
On this page you'll find everything you need to make entering easy - entry kit, key dates, costs, frequently asked questions, how to apply to be one of our illustrious judges, and more.
We encourage you to download the entry kit and take a look at which categories are most relevant to you. If you have any Qs that our FAQs don't answer, feel free to drop an e-mail to the fabulous Jean Probert via jean@adcouncil.org.au and we'll endeavour to respond as soon as we can.
Good luck - and may you come out the other side with all the admiration and applause you deserve, along with a raft of coveted AWARD Awards metal!
New 2026 categories:
- Social and Creator: Mobile-first creative ideas designed for social platforms
- Brand Experience & Entertainment: Experiences and entertainment-led work that create genuine moments of connection
- Business-to-Business: B2B ideas brought to life through creative use of design and communication
- Creative Effectiveness: Work grounded in sound strategy and proven to deliver meaningful business impact.
The Creativity for Good Award has been elevated to a dedicated track, spotlighting work that drives positive social or environmental change, while new sub-categories such as Achievement in Production within Craft recognise the essential contribution of production excellence to creative campaigns. A new special award, In-house Agency of the Year, also debuts in 2026.
Key dates:
Call for entries open: 3 December 2025
Earlybird entries close: 16 January 2026
On-time entries close: 13 March 2026
Extended entry deadline (15% late fee): 17 April 2026
Round 1 Judging (Finalist qualifying): 27 May - 5 June 2026
Finalists Announced: 15 June 2026
Round 2 Judging: 29 June - 10 July 2026
Special Awards Judging: 6 - 10 August
Jury President Lunch: 12 August 2026
47th AWARD Awards Ceremony: 13 August 2026
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