The 2026 Gerety Awards has announced its winners. The ceremony celebrates the best in advertising, setting standards that reflect market realities and raise the bar for the industry.
McCann New Zealand (formerly FCB New Zealand) has won a Bronze for ‘Belted jerseys’, created for New Zealand Transport Agency – Waka Kotahi. Meanwhile, Howatson+Company, Finch, Special Group, Droga5 ANZ and 2045 Agency also picked up wins for Australia.
The jury selected three outstanding campaigns for Grand Prix honours this year: ‘No project without drama’, ‘The count’ and ‘The KitKat heist’, which took home two Grand Prix awards.
This year, more than 250 judges from over 50 countries took part in the Gerety Awards, bringing together some of the most respected creative leaders across advertising, marketing, production, design and media.
The complete list of winners includes four Grand Prix, 34 Gold, 69 Silver and 75 Bronze awards, with Tunisia receiving its first-ever recognitions.
Standout campaigns
The Grand Prix winners:
- ‘No project without drama‘ for Hornbach by HeimatTBWA\ Berlin (Germany), winning the Craft CUT – Production Design Grand Prix.
- ‘The count’ for Sickkids by Soundtree Music for FCB Canada, winning the Craft CUT – Music Grand Prix.
- ‘The KitKat heist’ for KitKat by VML UK, winning two Grand Prix awards: one in the Communication CUT – PR and another in the new Moments CUT – PR category introduced this year.
The regional winners:
- ‘Belted jerseys’ for Waka Kotahi by McCann NZ, winning a Bronze in the Work for Good CUT -Alternative.
- ‘If you can take it, it’s yours for Selleys’ by Howatson+Company, winning Gold in the Communication CUT Print – Outdoor.
- ‘Can’t do that if you’re driving for Uber’ by Finch for Special Group, winning Silver in the Craft CUT – Direction.
- ‘The happiness list’ for Australian Lamb by Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, winning Bronze in the Entertainment CUT – Online Video.
- ‘The no board for Bupa’ by 2045 Agency, winning Bronze in the Health CUT – Alternative.
Work that earns attention
Members of the Gerety Awards Grand Jury say that in a year where everyone is chasing attention, the work that stood out was work that earned it rather than demanded it.
Dipshika Ravi, national creative director, Schbang, India, says: “‘The KitKat heist’ is a particularly compelling example of this…what began as a brand ‘accident’ was transformed into an idea. The act of stealing KitKats became the communication, the PR, the cultural conversation and, ultimately, the proof of the idea.
“For me, that is a defining quality of Grand Prix-level work, when an idea is so well constructed that it doesn’t feel like advertising, but something you willingly engage with until the very end. The work doesn’t interrupt culture, it creates a moment within it.”
Maria Milusheva, CCO, OM Group & Much Better, Bulgaria, says: “AI can manufacture content, but it cannot manufacture attention. KitKat did exactly that – they made a problem public and invited people to participate in solving it. That takes nerve. And audacity!”
The power of great ideas
Imen Gharbi, managing director, Doze Agency, Tunisia, says: “What stood out to me in this year’s winning work is how effortless the best ideas feel. Behind that apparent simplicity is an incredible level of craft, cultural understanding and precision.”
Alejandra Fehrmann, global communications executive, adds: “Great creative work doesn’t ask for attention – it earns it. The winners remind us that creativity has no single accent, market or formula. The best ideas travel because they surprise us, make us feel something and change the way we see.”
Christen Rochon, ad partnerships director at NBCUniversal, says: “These works are more than a celebration of creative excellence. The greatest Grand Prix winners reflect influence, are proactive in its evolution and create a permanent thread in the fabric of culture, leaving an impact that extends far beyond the moment.”
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