D&AD has announced its 2025 winners. 688 Pencils were awarded, including 3 Black, 3 White, 48 Yellow, 176 Graphite and 434 Wood. Entries were submitted from 86 countries worldwide, the highest ever in the awards’ history, a total of 30,000 pieces of work from 11,689 entries.
The Black Pencil winners are:
Spreadbeats by FCB New York in Digital Marketing
FCB New York described its Black Pencil-winning work as, “Innovation through nostalgic technologies,” which is in line with the overarching theme across work this year that has seen brands hacking their way into events / sports / games with a cheeky idea.
A$AP Rocky – Tailor Swif by Iconoclast LA in Music Videos
This year’s Black Pencil winner for the Music Video category emphasises an overarching theme seen in various works: the importance of narrative storytelling, which highlights the structure of the narrative arc across different mediums and artistic disciplines. In particular, narrative music videos, such as those like “Tailor Swif”, feature long-form storytelling where the music is integral to the narrative, rather than being an afterthought.
Designing Paris 2024 by W Conran Design in Graphic Design.
Judges from the Graphic Design category said that the campaign is a breakthrough for sports marketing and traditional sports marketing aesthetics, calling the design playful and scalable, with a unifying but distinctive feel that blends heritage and sport. Its win was attributed to its illustrating how design thinking can transform a city’s attitude and behaviour.
The US leads this year’s D&AD (again) with 2 Black, 1 White, 18 Yellow, 77 Graphite and 154 Wood Pencils. The UK has 11 Yellow, 41 Graphite and 1o9 Wood Pencils.
Some of the big winners are: France with 2 Black, 1 White, 7 Yellow, 13 Graphite and 35 Wood Pencils; Brazil with 3 Yellow, 12 Graphite and 31 Wood Pencils; Canada with 4 Yellow, 6 Graphite and 16 Wood Pencils; Germany with 4 Yellow, 8 Graphite and 22 Wood Pencils; Japan wit 1 Yellow, 3 Graphite and 20 Wood Pencils.
Australia has won 22 Wood and 4 Graphite Pencils
This year, jurors emphasised the importance of the commercial viability of creative work – not just ideas for the sake of having ideas, but the impact these ideas have on business success and changing consumer behaviour.
There was also a noticeable resurgence of craftsmanship among this year’s D&AD Award winners. Jurors demanded exceptional craft across all categories, from Radio and Audio to Film. The message was clear – in a landscape filled with bland and automated work, looking good isn’t enough, it also needs to be well-crafted. The winners exemplified work that creates meaningful impact and engages audiences.
Furthermore, there was a strong call to further define craft excellence and raise the standards in content creation, particularly evident in D&AD’s new Creator Content category.
“This year’s D&AD Awards celebrated the power of design not just as a form of art, but as a catalyst for commercial success and behavioural change,” stated Dara Lynch, CEO of D&AD. “With three prestigious Black Pencils awarded, the jurors emphasised that innovative ideas must possess both aesthetic appeal and tangible impact. As also seen in the winning entries, the resurgence of craftsmanship stands as a reminder that in an era of automation, true excellence lies in the thoughtful execution of ideas. It’s not enough to just look good, true creative excellence must also leave a lasting impression. The need to further define excellence in craft and raise the standards in areas such as content creation was clear.”
D&AD trustee, Lisa Smith, global executive creative director, Jones Knowles Ritchie, added, “It’s exciting to see so many brands and companies refreshing their identities. But judging has been challenging — too many entries follow the same established design codes and trends, making everything start to look and feel alike, regardless of category. The work that stood out — and was ultimately awarded — was the kind that breaks away from the expected: inspiring, well-crafted, and truly fit for purpose.”
Special Awards:
- Advertising Agency of the Year: FCB New York
- Production Company of the Year: DIVISION (for the fifth year in a row)
- Independent Network of the Year: Serviceplan
- Network of the Year: FCB
- Design Agency of the Year: Serviceplan Design
The D&AD President’s Award was chosen by this year’s D&AD president Kwame Taylor-Hayford and awarded to Koichiro Tanaka, founder of interdisciplinary creative boutique, Projector.
Tanaka commented, “I’m very honoured to receive this award. When I was a child, I didn’t get praised much – except by my mother. It took me years to be able to really take praise in. But now, I can say this: I’m truly happy. To receive this award from D&AD, which has lived longer than I have, and to feel part of its long story is now something I live with. Being recognised with care and an open heart is a special thing to me. I want to remember that – and think about how I can give something back to others, too. Thank you so much.”
D&AD president for 2025, Kwame Taylor-Hayford, co-founder of Kin, added, “Koichiro Tanaka’s pioneering work at the intersection of storytelling, interactivity, and craft helped define a formative era in digital creativity. His career journey, bold ideas, and meticulous attention to detail have been a constant source of personal inspiration. It’s a true honour to present Ko with the President’s Award for his incredible achievements.”
Find all the Pencil-winning work and shortlisted entries on the D&AD website.
The D&AD Awards Rankings will be released in conjunction with the digital D&AD Annual.
