Submissions Now Open for ADWEEK Agency of the Year 2026

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Entries for ADWEEK’s 2026 Agency of the Year awards are now open. 

From industry stalwarts to emerging shops, ADWEEK annually celebrates the agencies pushing marketing forward while driving strong business outcomes for their clients and themselves. 

This year for the first time, Agency of the Year will also recognize media and performance marketing agencies with the following categories: 

  • Global Media Agency of the Year
  • U.S. Media Agency of the Year
  • Independent Media Agency of the Year
  • Performance Marketing Agency of the Year 

All entries will be evaluated by the ADWEEK editorial team across business results, creative excellence / media strategy, talent development, leadership, innovation, and impact. 

Last year’s winners include Billion Dollar Boy, Known, Rethink, and Wieden+Kennedy. 

Whether you’re a new upstart or an established global network, this is your opportunity to showcase your agency’s best work, strongest thinking, and clearest vision for where the industry is headed.

Categories

  1. Global Creative Agency: Open to agencies operating in multiple countries. Entrants should demonstrate a consistent ability to deliver culturally relevant, high-impact campaigns across multiple markets. 
  1. U.S. Creative Agency: Open to U.S.-based agencies that have demonstrated outstanding performance, creative innovation, and measurable results over the past year. This category is open to agencies headquartered or primarily operating in the United States.
  1. Midsize Creative Agency: Open to agencies with 150 to 500 employees. Winners must demonstrate extraordinary creativity, client impact, and business growth in the past year. 
  1. Small Creative Agency: Open to agencies with fewer than 150 employees that have delivered big results with leaner teams. 
  1. Breakthrough Creative Agency: Open to agencies launched in the last 5 years and that have experienced a breakout year in 2026.
  2. Multicultural Creative Agency: Open to agencies that lead with cultural insight and authenticity to create work that resonates with diverse audiences. 
  1. Independent Creative Agency: Open to agencies not owned by a holding company. This category rewards independent agencies that thrive creatively and commercially on their own terms.
  1. Innovation Agency: Open to agencies pushing boundaries by using technology, data, and AI to help their clients get ahead.

  1. Creator / Influencer Agency: Open to agencies at the forefront of social-first, influencer marketing. The winner must demonstrate breakthrough work that drives engagement, shapes culture, and delivers real results. 
  1. Global Media Agency: Open to agencies with a multinational presence that specialize in media planning, buying, and strategy. Entries will be evaluated on the ability to deliver cohesive, culturally nuanced campaigns across multiple regions and drive measurable business results for clients. 
  1. U.S. Media Agency: Open to agencies headquartered in the United States that specialize in media planning, buying, and strategy. The winner will have demonstrated a strategic approach to media planning and buying, creative use of emerging platforms, and meaningful outcomes for clients.
  2. Independent Media Agency: Open to independently owned agencies (not belonging to a holding company) that specialize in media planning, buying, and strategy. The winner will have demonstrated a strategic approach to media planning and buying, creative use of emerging platforms, and meaningful outcomes for clients.
  1. Performance Marketing Agency: Open to agencies that demonstrate a strong command of paid media, search, programmatic, and other performance channels, with a clear focus on ROI and business impact.

Key Dates

  • Early Bird Deadline: $375 until July 17, 2026
  • Standard Deadline: $425 until August 14, 2026
  • Extended Deadline: $475 until September 11, 2026

Entries must be submitted through the official submission portal HERE. 

The shortlist will be published on ADWEEK.com in October and the winners will be announced in a special feature package in the December issue (online and in print) on December 8, 2026. Additionally, one winning agency will have the opportunity to design ADWEEK’s magazine cover that month. 

For any questions or extensions, contact pj.bernacki@adweek.com. 

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https://www.adweek.com/agencies/submissions-now-open-for-adweek-agency-of-the-year-2026/