Advertising Council Australia has announced a record 148 finalists for the 2026 Australian Effie Awards, the largest finalist field in the program’s history. They represent 48 agencies and 63 clients.
Clemenger BBDO leads the pack with 15 nominations, followed by Special Australia with 12 finalists and BMF with 10 finalists. Saatchi & Saatchi has nine finalists; 303 and Droga5, part of Accenture Song have eight each.
The Australian Effie Awards span 30 categories and are judged by more than 300 senior marketers, agency leaders, consultants and researchers. Finalists now progress to the second and final round of judging, competing for Australia’s most prestigious award recognising proven marketing effectiveness.
Chair of judges, Colin Wilson-Brown, commented, “This year’s finalists demonstrate that the standard of marketing effectiveness in Australia continues to rise. The strongest entries combined outstanding results with strategic rigour, commercial credibility and compelling evidence. Round Two judging puts every entry under even greater scrutiny, with CMOs and consultants evaluating the commercial rigour, strategic thinking and proven business impact behind each campaign.”
Gold, Silver and Bronze Effie winners will be announced on Friday, October 9 at the Australian Effie Awards gala at Hyatt Regency Sydney.
The Australian Effie Awards are presented jointly by Advertising Council Australia and the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) in association with Google. Sponsors and supporters include Meta, LinkedIn, Ideally, Outdoor Media Association, Tracksuit, Ad Standards and UnLtd.
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