The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.
The 2026 Bookmark Awards have officially launched, alongside a refreshed Bookmarks visual identity
🎓 Bookmark Awards Masterclass
Keith Manning, ECD at TBWA\Hunt Lascaris, is the host of your 2026 BMA Masterclass. With a career defined by old thinking, global accolades, and work for some of South Africa’s leading brands, he brings a rare insider perspective on what truly makes an award-winning Bookmark entry stand out.
It takes place on Wednesday, 11 February 2026 at 1pm. Register here.
🏆 JURY NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
If you’re a digital leader with a proven track record of excellence, innovation and impact or know someone who is, now’s the time to step forward. Nominate yourself or a peer to help judge the work shaping the future of digital in South Africa.
Jury nominations close at midnight on 13 February. Nominate here.
📂 UPDATED CATEGORIES & CRITERIA
This year’s Bookmark Awards categories and criteria have been reimagined to reflect how digital work actually operates today — moving to a business ecosystem approach that emphasises impact, innovation and integration across the value chain.
The new structure is digital-first and future-forward, designed to recognise work that not only leads creatively, but drives measurable change within the broader digital landscape.
Before you hit “submit,” double-check your category and criteria — this is your moment to shine, and the details matter.
Check out the updates here.
Entries for the 2026 Bookmark Awards open on Tuesday, 17 February, with Early Bird entry fees available for a limited time.
2Stories named Best Medium-sized Agency of the Year at the International Content Marketing Awards
Content marketing agency 2Stories has been named Best Medium-sized Agency of the Year at the 2025 International Content Marketing Awards (ICMAs) in London, earning major international recognition in its first year entering the global awards programme.
Run by the Content Marketing Association, the ICMAs attract entries from agencies and brands in over 30 countries and are judged by more than 170 content marketing experts. The Agency of the Year Grand Prix recognises all-round excellence, including financial performance, client retention, new-business success, team development, and creative and effectiveness outcomes.
“2Stories was founded on a simple belief: when you put people first – your team, your audiences, your clients – the work becomes irresistible,” says Anelde Greeff, co-founder and co-CEO of 2Stories. “Happy people make great work. Great work creates happy clients. And happy clients stay.”
Alongside the Agency of the Year title, 2Stories also received two category wins from eight nominations, reflecting the depth and consistency of its work, particularly in financial services and internal communications:
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Best Inter-company Engagement: Silver – My Blue Book (Standard Bank Group)
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Best Financial Content: Bronze – The Messy Middle (Genfin)
Joanne Hope, co-founder and co-CEO of 2Stories, adds: “Much of our work happens in complex content ecosystems where governance, scale and clarity are non-negotiable. Those constraints don’t limit creativity, they sharpen it. This recognition belongs to our multidisciplinary team, our trusted clients and collaborators that values carefully crafted content.”
KFC Africa certified as Top Employer as brand exports more talent to Europe
KFC Africa has achieved Top Employer certification, a milestone that validates its commitment to building world-class people practices across its 40,000-strong workforce.
The Top Employers Institute certification arrives at a time when shrinking talent pools are placing increasing pressure on employers to ensure their people are treated as their greatest asset.
It recognises organisations that have built strong cultures of belonging, fairness and growth – the new anchors of resilience in a competitive talent landscape.
KFC Africa Chief People, Culture and Purpose Officer, Nolo Thobejane, says the certification is proof that investing in people delivers tangible returns – not just in retention and performance, but in developing globally competitive talent.
“That proof is playing out in real time with two significant leadership appointments that demonstrate the strength of KFC Africa’s talent pipeline and the continent’s growing role in shaping global leadership,” says Thobejane.
Gerety Awards announces 2026 executive jury locations, jury presidents and opens for early bird entries
The Gerety Awards has unveiled the global cities that will host its 2026 executive jury sessions, alongside the powerful Jury Presidents leading them. The announcement marks the official opening of entries for the 2026 edition.
Executive judging sessions will take place in London, Auckland, Toronto, New York, Paris, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Dubai, Madrid, Milano, Mexico City, Bangkok, Los Angeles, Berlin and São Paulo. These sessions gather some of the most influential creative, brand, media, and production leaders from around the world, each helping to shape the standard by which advertising is judged.
The 2026 Jury Presidents include:
- London — Nadja Lossgott, Joint Chief Creative Officer, AMV BBDO
- Auckland — Isobel Kerr-Newell, CEO, Artemis Communications and Leisa Wall, Co-Chief Creative Officer McCann New Zealand
- Toronto — Josefina Nadurata, Co-founder/Executive Producer, Holiday Films | Holiday United Group (H.U.G) and Krystle Mullin, CCO, john st. and T&P
- New York — Shannon Washington, Chief Creative Officer, 11 OUNCES
- Paris — Gabrielle Attia, Creative Director, Marcel
- Stockholm — Emma Eriksson, Creative Lead, Forsman & Bodenfors
- Hong Kong —Kitty Lun, Director, Head of Creative Shop META
- Dubai — Vidya Manmohan, Founder & Creative Chairwoman, V4GOOD
- Madrid — Alejandra Chacón, Head of Strategy & Insights, Havas Media Network
- Milan — Cinzia Pallaoro, Executive Creative Director, Leagas Delaney
- Mexico City — Cristina Galán, Country Manager, SAMY
- Bangkok — Pare Rinnachit, Managing Director, Yell Bangkok
- Los Angeles — Val Carlson, Global Chief Creative Officer, Critical Mass
- Berlin — Marielle Wilsdorf, Partner & Managing Director, Scholz & Friends
- São Paulo — Andrea Siqueira, Partner & CCO, AMPFY
Details on the Grand Jury, Jury Presidents, Categories, and Deadlines are available at GeretyAwards.com.
