The AARON Awards, the first dedicated AI creator awards for advertising, are now officially open for entries.
While there are plenty of AI awards globally, most celebrate short-form films or content in general. And while major advertising shows have started adding AI sub-categories, they’re typically built for large agencies – not for the rapidly growing class of AI-native creators, solo innovators, and emerging AI-first shops producing the most groundbreaking work today. The AARON Awards fill that gap.
They are purpose-built to honour the people and teams using AI as their primary creative medium – from independent creators to boutique AI studios. Traditional agencies are welcome to enter, but the show is designed for those who lead with AI, not those retrofitting it.
Named after AARON, the world’s first true AI artist created by Harold Cohen, the awards celebrate the fusion of human imagination and machine intelligence across advertising and brand innovation.
Unlike many AI showcases, the AARON Awards place commercial work at the forefront. Speculative ads for brands is a separate awards category with AARON. The emphasis is on work created with AI that meets the standards of craft, performance and brand impact expected in advertising.
And at a time when concerns around “AI slop”, low-effort, low-craft, high-volume output, are rising, the AARON Awards champion the opposite – rigorous creativity, intentional design, and work elevated by AI, not drowned by it.
“AARON isn’t about adding an AI checkbox to existing categories, it’s the first awards program that puts AI creators at the centre of the advertising industry,” says Vinne Schifferstein, co-founder of the AARON Awards. “We’re here to celebrate work that uses AI with purpose and craft. Commercial creativity matters, solving a real brief is a different skill entirely. Asia is already seeing extraordinary new AI talent rise, and Australia’s creative pedigree means AI becomes a launchpad, not a shortcut, for even greater imagination and innovation.”
“The most inventive work in AI isn’t coming from large networks, it’s coming from creators and AI-first studios,” added Marie-Celine Merret, curator of the AARON Awards. “AARON celebrates them, the makers building new pipelines, new worlds and new forms of storytelling.”
The inaugural AARON Awards global jury brings together leaders across creative technology, advertising and art, including:
Wesley ter Haar (Monks), Rory Flynn, Arlyn Panopio (Envato), Craig Elimeliah (Code and Theory), Jo Wallace (Jellyfish), Chrissie Cremers (Aigency Amsterdam), Rogier Vijverberg (Superheroes), Blair Vermette (Rabbithole), Hugo Barbero (HumAInmade), and Henry Daubrez (Google).
Key Dates:
Early entries close: 31 January 2026
Final entries close: 15 February 2026
Show date: April 2026
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