The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.
PRISMS Awards call for entries
The Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) has officially opened the call for entries for the 2026 PRISMS Summit & Awards, inviting practitioners, agencies, corporates, NGOs and government practitioners across the continent to submit their most impactful work. The entry portal opens this May and closes on 2 August 2026, meaning a three-month entry window this year.
The 2026 awards are anchored in the theme Kaleidoscope: Patterns of Impact Across Past, Present & Future, a concept that reflects the evolving role of communication in shaping meaning, influencing systems and contributing to sustainable development.
PRISA President Bradly Howland said the theme arrives at a pivotal moment for the continent and the profession.
“Africa’s communications landscape is expanding, maturing and asserting its voice. PRISA continues to bring the continent’s practitioners together, strengthening the profession through shared standards, learning and purpose,” said Howland. “As we advance the African Declaration, currently underway, PRISA remains a lighthouse for communicators across the region — guiding the industry towards ethical practice, meaningful impact and a unified professional identity. Kaleidoscope speaks directly to this moment, reminding us that when we shift perspective, we unlock new patterns of possibility for Africa.”
Entries must be submitted via the official PRISMS portal at https://www.prisa.co.za/prisms-awards/ before 2 August 2026.
Carat South Africa recognised as Best Agency to Work For by SCOPEN
Carat South Africa has been named Best Media Agency to Work for in South Africa by SCOPEN, a recognition that speaks directly to who we are and what we stand for as a business.
In an industry defined by fast pace, constant change and high churn, this accolade feels especially meaningful. It recognises a culture where people don’t just pass through, but actively choose to stay, contribute and build meaningful, long-term careers.
At Carat South Africa, our priority has always been our people and creating an environment where individuals feel valued, supported and inspired to do their best work.
High performance and people-first leadership are not competing ideas for us; they are firmly connected. We believe that when people feel respected, trusted and part of something bigger than themselves, exceptional work follows.
Cannes Lions announces awarding juries
The 73rd edition of the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity takes place in Cannes France from 22–26 June 2026. The internationally celebrated festival of creativity has announced its jury for 2026, which includes a group of talented and celebrated South African creatives and marketers on various panels.
“As the official Cannes Lions Festival Representative in South Africa, we are delighted with the inclusion of this prestigious list of industry heavyweights, 18 in total, as a global acknowledgement and celebration of the very high standard of local talent,” says Lynne Wylie, chief marketing officer of Ster-Kinekor.
This year’s Juries reflect the growing diversity of voices shaping the global creative industry, with fresh perspectives from independent agencies and brands across an array of sectors.
The Cannes Lions Awarding Jury Members from South Africa are:
Audio & Radio:
Jabulani Sigege, group executive creative director of Machine_
Creative Business Transformation – Jury President:
Gugu Mthembu, chief marketing officer of Telkom
Creative Data:
Veli Ngubane, chief creative officer of Avatar
Creative Effectiveness:
Mpume Ngobese, managing director of Joe Public
Creative Strategy:
Neo Makhele, chief strategy officer of Ogilvy South Africa
Design:
Simone Rossum, executive creative director of SHIFT
Digital Craft:
Stephanie Mazingi, creative managing director of Havas South Africa
Direct:
Khethiwe Makhubo, creative group head of McCann Joburg
Entertainment Lions for Gaming:
Danni Pinch, executive creative director of Accenture Song
Entertainment Lions for Music:
Phiona Okumu, head of music (sub-Saharan Africa) of Spotify
Glass: The Lion for Change:
Suhana Gordhan, chief creative officer and founder of LoveSong
Industry Craft:
Liana Liebenberg, national creative partner of Design Bridge & Partners
Media:
Dashni Vilakazi, managing director of The MediaShop
Pharma:
Mandi Fine, CEO and Founder of FINE
Print & Publishing:
Nkgabiseng Motau, co-founder and chief creative officer, Think Creative Africa
Social & Creator:
Khangelani Dziba, brand communications consultant, Independent
Sustainable Development Goals:
Bogosi Motshegwa, founder, CEO, and chief strategy officer of Thinkerneur
Dan Wieden Titanium:
Tseliso Rangaka, chief creative officer of Accenture Song
Effie invites brands to shape next gen of marketing talent
Brands looking to make a meaningful contribution to the future of marketing are being invited to sponsor a brief for the next Effie College programme, a platform that gives students the opportunity to work on real business challenges using effectiveness-led thinking.
It also equips them to learn the craft of case writing through the globally recognised Effie Framework for Marketing Effectiveness, a proven tool that embeds key principles of effectiveness into marketing practice.
The call forms part of a broader effort to grow Effie College’s impact, strengthen its industry position, and deepen collaboration between brands and emerging talent.
For sponsoring brands, the opportunity is both practical and strategic. It means setting a real business challenge, engaging with finalists in live pitches, accessing structured, effectiveness-led thinking, and creating meaningful connections with future talent.
Effie manages the full competition lifecycle, from brief refinement and student engagement to judging, finalist selection and awards, allowing partner brands to focus on the challenge itself and the value gained in return. The brief positions this as a high-impact partnership for brands that want to support the next generation while also benefiting from fresh marketing perspectives.
The 2026 programme already has participation from UCT, UJ, NWU, Vega and AAA, signalling continued interest from academia and reinforcing Effie College’s role as a bridge between the classroom and the principles of effectiveness in modern marketing.
“Effie College is about real impact,” says Gillian Rightford, Executive Director of the ACA and for Effie South Africa. “It gives brands the opportunity to put an actual business challenge in front of bright young minds and see how the next generation responds with rigour, creativity and commercial thinking. For sponsoring brands, that means fresh perspectives and early access to future talent. For the wider industry, it means helping shape marketers who understand effectiveness from the outset.”
For more information, visit https://effie.org/partners/south-africa/ or www.acasa.co.za
Effie Worldwide Reveals Global Grand Contenders for its 2025 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards
Effie Worldwide has unveiled the 47 Global Grand Contenders for the 2025 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards.
The Global Best of the Best Effie Awards celebrate the most impactful work from around the world, spanning 60 countries and over 130 markets. Gold and Grand winners from 2024 Effie Awards programmes were eligible to enter, bringing together the strongest work from across Effie’s global network, showcasing success across diverse markets, categories and objectives.
The 47 Global Grand Effie contenders advanced through an initial round of judging within their respective categories, spanning 27 industry sectors – from Brand Content & Entertainment to Positive Change: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Entries were evaluated by an international jury of senior marketing leaders, who rigorously assessed each case across the full marketing journey – from challenge and objectives through to insight, execution, and measurable results.
Each contender has already proven its effectiveness at a local or regional level and now competes on the global stage. This year’s contenders reflect a global mix, with strong representation from markets including Brazil, the Netherlands, US, India, South Africa, Romania, Ukraine, and Canada, among others.
“The Global Best of the Best Effie Awards represent the pinnacle of marketing effectiveness globally,” said Traci Alford, Global CEO of Effie Worldwide. “These contenders have already demonstrated exceptional impact within their markets. Now, they are setting the standard for what effective marketing looks like on a global stage – ideas grounded in insight, brought to life with creativity, and proven through results.”
The full list of the 2025 Global Grand Contenders is available here.
Finalists from 39 countries announced For ADC 105th Annual Awards
The global Art Directors Club today announced the finalists entries from 39 countries for the. ADC 105th Annual Awards
Founded in 1920, the ADC Annual Awards is the world’s longest continuously running awards program recognizing global excellence in craft and innovation in all forms of advertising and design.
Area 23 New York leads the way this year with 21 finalists, including five for Equity Health Foundation “The Zip Code Exam”, and four each for Mercy for Animals “Cracked” and Gavião Kyikatejê FC “Kyikatejê”.
McCann New York has 20 ADC 105th finalists, including 11 for Kotex “Own Your Flow” and nine for Instacart “For Papa!”.
With 19 finalists is Squarespace New York, including 15 for “Unavailable”. Klick Health Toronto has 18, including 11 for Second Nurture “18 Months”.
Google Creative Team Mountain View has 16 finalists, including four each for “Thomas’ Story” and Google/Netflix “Stranger Things in Search”.
Other top ADC 105th finalists are The New York Times Magazine New York with 14, Dentsu Inc. Tokyo and VML Health Spain Madrid with 13 each, Serviceplan Germany Munich with 12, and RethinkToronto and TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles with 10 each.
This year’s esteemed ADC 105th Annual Awards global jury selected a total of 668 finalists from 39 countries and regions. The complete searchable list of finalists for is available here.
All finalists will win coveted Gold, Silver or Bronze ADC Cubes, or merits, which will be presented during Creative Week 2026 at the ADC 105th Annual Awards ceremony on 13 May at Capitale in New York.
Red Dot announces jury for Brands & Communication Design 2026
The jury for the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2026 has been confirmed. A panel of 30 experts from design, academia, media and consultancy will assess the submitted projects and brands.
The internationally composed jury brings together a wide range of professional and cultural perspectives. It evaluates submissions in terms of design quality, creative achievement and their effectiveness in brand and communication practice.
Joining the jury for Brands & Communication Design for the first time this year are Cihan Tamti (Germany), Liad Shadmi (Germany), Sang In Lee (South Korea), Silvia D’Alesio (Italy) and Parasto Backman (Sweden).
The evaluation will take place as part of a multi-day jury process. All entries will be reviewed individually on site and discussed in detail. Based on these deliberations, the jury will decide on the awards in the competition.
“Compelling communication begins with a clear understanding of what it addresses. In the jury of the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design, each submission is examined individually and discussed collectively – always with regard to idea, design and impact. The composition of the jury enables quality to be assessed from different perspectives and positioned within an international context,” said Siegfried Schneider, vice President at Red Dot.
All the jury members are here.
