D&AD only rewards work that meets the standard it calls creative excellence. If no work in a category gets there, no work is awarded. So that entrants know, and D&AD’s 250 judges know, exactly what it means by creative excellence, D&AD has released its judging criteria by discipline (before entries close on February 20).
Those criteria are:
Design:
- Is the idea inspiring?
- Is it brilliantly executed?
- Is it fit for purpose?
Crafts:
- Is it brilliantly crafted?
- Does the use of craft elevate the idea?
- Is the idea inspiring?
- Is it fit for purpose?
Advertising + Film & Entertainment:
- Is the idea inspiring?
- Is it brilliantly executed?
- Is it fit for purpose?
Purpose:
- Is the idea inspiring?
- Does it use creativity as a force for good?
- Is it brilliantly executed?
This year, the D&AD Awards have been updated to enable the best of the best now to come to the fore. This includes eleven reimagined categories to represent the craft disciplines specifically – Animation, Casting, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Illustration, Photography, Production Design, Sound Design & Use of Music, Typography and Visual Effects. These are added to existing craft categories, Writing for Advertising and Writing for Design. The Jury Presidents of the crafts categories will form the Black Pencil Crafts Jury to spotlight standalone crafts better, allowing them to be judged in context at the highest and most prestigious level.
Tim Lindsay, D&AD chief executive officer, noted, “With the first deadline for entries drawing to a close on February 20, we have already seen an exceptionally high standard of creative work coming in from across the globe. We hope the changes we have introduced this year will inspire more creative people than ever to submit their work.”
Entries will continue to be accepted through March 13, but a 20% late fee will apply. Shortlisted and Pencil-winning work will be on display at the D&AD Festival in London, May 21-23, and
The D&AD Awards Ceremony will take place on the final festival day.
Introduced this year are the D&AD Next sub-categories, that allow emerging creatives, designers and crafts practitioners to show off what they can do. Find the details about the Next category here.
Also new for 2019 is the Side Hustle category, which has been introduced to applaud the outstanding creativity being injected by creatives to projects outside their day jobs. These range from creating new businesses to developing initiatives to address social and environmental issues. Find more information about Side Hustle here.
Full details of the new categories, as well as the Awards entry portal, can be found here.
Key dates:
20 February 2019 – D&AD Awards entry deadline
13 March 2019 – Final Deadline* (*20% surcharge applies after 20 February)
17 – 19 May 2019 – D&AD Awards Judging
20 – 21 May 2019 – D&AD Awards Shortlists announced
20 May 2019 – D&AD Awards Black Pencil Judging
21 – 23 May 2019 – D&AD Festival, London
23 May 2019 – D&AD Awards Ceremony, London
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