The Guardian has today (Wednesday 25 February) announced that its third annual Guardian Advertising Awards are now open for entries.
Free to enter, the 2026 awards celebrate advertising campaigns that have featured across Guardian channels. Highlighting unforgettable examples of scale, influence and integrity – the Guardian’s unique formula for advertisers.
Winners will be judged in five categories that best reflect advertising displayed across the Guardian:
Everyday brands
Brands connecting with big moments
Premium brands
Brands doing the right thing
Challenger brands
There will also be a Grand Prix award for the brands that go above and beyond the entry criteria. Brands and agencies cannot enter this category. The Grand Prix winner will be selected by the judges out of all of the winning campaigns.
Imogen Fox, global chief advertising officer, Guardian Media Group, says:
“We’re thrilled to open entries for the Guardian Advertising Awards 2026 and to once again celebrate the exceptional work created in partnership with our advertisers. This year’s awards will spotlight the brands and agencies who put their money where their mouths are, delivering campaigns that not only drove meaningful business outcomes, but also supported the Guardian’s influential and independent journalism over the last year.”
The judges for the Guardian Advertising Awards 2026 include: Karen Martin, CEO, BBH; James Bailey, CEO, Dentsu; Sharon Dhillon, managing director, Initiative; David Wilding, EVP strategy - WPP Media, WPP Media / Wavemaker; Elliott Millard, CSO, Thinkbox; Emily Henderson, director, EMEA Media Lab, Google; Leila Siddiqi, director for diversity and inclusion, IPA; Heather Dansie, research and insight director, Newsworks; Florence Morgan, group media & partnerships manager, Tesco; Rachel Hamburger, strategy director, Mother London.
The Guardian Advertising Awards 2026 awards are open for entries until Wednesday 8 April.
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About Guardian Media Group
Guardian Media Group is one of the world’s largest and most-trusted quality newsbrands, publisher of the Guardian, theguardian.com and the Guardian app.
Founded over 200 years ago, the Guardian now serves audiences through five editions: Australia, Europe, International, UK and US. With no billionaire owner, the Guardian is renowned for its fearless investigative journalism, holding power to account and amplifying the stories that need to be told. Its independent ownership structure means it is free from political or commercial influence.
Today, millions of people worldwide choose the Guardian’s journalism every day and more than two million readers across 180 countries have supported the Guardian’s work.
Audiences can listen to the Guardian’s top-rated podcasts, watch its award-winning documentaries and interact with its growing digital portfolio, from a premium live news app to the recipe app Feast.
