D&AD has awarded four Black Pencils across three projects at its 2026 Awards Ceremony in London.

• Isle of Any’s Your Way Out for Coinbase received two Black Pencils, for Visual Effects and Production Design

• Uncommon Creative Studio’s The Periodic Fable for DECIEM was awarded a Black Pencil for Art Direction

• Publicis Conseil’s Three Words forAXA received a Black Pencil for Impact.

Dutch graphic designer, Irma Boom, received the 2026 D&AD President’s Award, presented by D&AD President Lisa Smith.

Lisa Smith, D&AD President and Uncommon Global Chief Design Officer, stated, “I chose Irma because her work is a reminder of what it means to care deeply about making something specific. She doesn’t simply design books, she continually challenges what a book can be, through scale, material, structure and extraordinary craft. 

“At a moment when our industry focuses so much on speed, automation and AI, Irma represents something incredibly important: curiosity, conviction and a point of view. After more than four decades, she is still experimenting, still questioning and still finding something new to discover. Her work has inspired generations of designers, myself very much included, and she continues to show us what a book can be.”

D&AD has also announced its annual global rankings:

Advertising Agency of the Year is Uncommon Creative Studio London, with Ogilvy Singapore ranking second and US independent Isle of Any in third. The Advertising Agency Top 10 spans seven countries, with agencies from the UK, Singapore and US occupying the top three positions.

Design Agency of the Year is Japan’s DENTSU INC., ahead of Pentagram New York in second place, with SMLXL and Mallandrich both in third. Pentagram also placed seventh through its London studio, making it the only agency represented twice in the Design Top 10.

SMLXL and Mallandrich were also jointly named Small Independent Design Agency of the Year.

Independent Agency of the Year is Isle of Any was named, adding to its third-place finish in the overall Advertising Agency ranking.

Isle of Any is also Small Independent Agency of the Year. Mother took second place, followed by Serviceplan Germany in third.

Agency Network of the Year is Ogilvy, ahead of TBWA\ in second and Havas Creative Network in third.

Brand of the Year is Apple, with Coinbase taking second place and Vaseline third.

Apple is also Brand-Side Agency of the Year through Apple Marcom, ahead of The New York Times and BBC Creative.

Client of the Year is Unilever, followed by Apple in second and Coinbase in third.

The United States topped the country rankings, followed by the United Kingdom and France. Brazil and Germany completed the top five, with Canada, Spain, Japan, Australia and the Netherlands also featuring in the Top 10.

David Patton, D&AD CEO, stated,  “What stands out in this year’s rankings is the breadth of creative excellence at the very top. The three highest-ranked Advertising Agencies come from three different countries, while independents are competing alongside the major networks at the highest level.

“Isle of Any embodies that – winning two Black Pencils, being named both Independent Agency of the Year and Small Independent Agency of the Year, and placing third overall in Advertising. With Mother and Serviceplan Germany also in the Advertising Top 10, it’s a reminder that exceptional creative work isn’t defined by geography or agency model.”

The full 2026 D&AD Awards and rankings are available at dandad.org.