The 58^th edition of the D&AD Awards will be quite different from those that have gone before. One thing hasn’t changed – The 2020 Awards will recognise creative excellence from the past year in the belief that great work is always worthwhile, often producing better outcomes for all.

D&AD’s jurors are assembling virtually to review each piece of work, still with the rigour the Awards have become known for. Scaled-down physical judging sessions are due to take place in July for Book Design, Graphic Design, Magazine & Newspaper Design, and Packaging Design, where in-person judging is critical.

While hosting a 2020 ceremony is not possible due to coronavirus, D&AD will be celebrating the winners in a social campaign designed by Studio Dumbar and will be staging a programme of online discussions, Q&As and interviews with the judges and winners to inspire and drive forward creative thinking. This includes insight panels with the 2020 Judges, Q&As with Jury Presidents and Behind the Work sessions with the winners to interrogate the components of creative excellence.

The Shortlists and Pencils will be announced via the D&AD website and social channels. Key Shortlist dates include 21 May, 28 May and 4 June. Pencils will be announced on 2 June, 9 June and 16 June. To accommodate in-person judging, Book Design, Graphic Design, Magazine & Newspaper Design, and Packaging Design Shortlists will be announced on 8 July and Pencils on 13 July.

The Black Pencils, Collaborative Pencils and Rankings will be announced on 16 July. A full list of the results announcement dates is detailed below and can also be found on the D&AD website. The schedule of the talks will be available soon.

Kate Stanners, D&AD President, commented, “As the world undergoes an unprecedented change, it is only right that D&AD Awards change with it. We have always highlighted great work and inspired creative excellence, and we will continue to do so this year despite the difficult times we find ourselves in. Each year, D&AD Awards receive a high calibre of entries from across the globe that demonstrate creative brilliance at its best, and 2020 is no different. We look forward to celebrating the highest level of creative work and supporting our creative industries.”

Tim Lindsay, D&AD Chairman, stated, “Recent events have shone a spotlight on the value of thinking creatively and innovatively. Our industry has already demonstrated great creativity in the face of the virus, and D&AD feel that it is more important than ever to celebrate the work we do. Alongside our awards schedule, we are excited to host a series of panel discussions, Q&As, and interviews with some of the industry’s leading creative practitioners. These sessions will provide insight into the breadth and diversity that is at the heart of the creative industries and look ahead to what creativity will mean in the future.”

Key Announcement Dates

21 May 2020: Impact and Film Craft Shortlists

28 May 2020: Side Hustle, Next, and Craft Shortlists

2 June 2020: Impact Pencils

4 June 2020: Advertising, Culture, and Design Shortlists

9 June 2020: Side Hustle, Next, and all Craft Pencils

16 June 2020: Advertising, Culture, and Design Pencils

8 July 2020: Book Design, Graphic Design, Magazine & Newspaper Design, and Packaging Design Shortlists

13 July 2020: Book Design, Graphic Design, Magazine & Newspaper Design, and Packaging Design Pencils

16 July 2020: Black Pencils, Collaborative Pencils, and Rankings

A reminder about D&AD Pencil levels:

Shortlist

Work that demonstrates merit, worthy of recognition and a mention in the D&AD Annual. It’s awarded in all categories in the first instance.

Wood

Awarded to the best work of the year, worthy of a place in the D&AD Annual.

Graphite

Stand-out work, beautifully executed, with an original and inspiring idea at its core.

Yellow

The iconic D&AD Yellow Pencil, awarded only to outstanding work that achieves true creative excellence.

White

Iconic projects that truly demonstrate the power of creativity to drive impact. White Pencil work will be contributing to either behavioural, policy, commercial and/or societal change.

Black

The ultimate creative accolade, reserved for ground-breaking work. Only a handful of these are awarded each year, if any.