Global Jury of More Than 350 Industry Leaders Set to Evaluate Creative Excellence Across Two Award Groups
MAD STARS, one of Asia’s leading international festivals celebrating creativity in marketing, advertising, digital innovation, and social impact, has announced the first 42 members of its Final Jury for the 2026 edition.
Representing 28 markets across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, the jurors form part of a global judging body comprising more than 350 industry professionals from 83 locations worldwide. Their appointment comes as the festival enters the final week of submissions, with the June 15 entry deadline fast approaching. Click to submit.
A New Framework for Creative Excellence
For 2026, MAD STARS has introduced a restructured awards system designed to better reflect how modern creative work is developed and evaluated.
The awards are now organized into two overarching Groups:
- SOLUTION Group – recognizing work that combines strategy, creativity, and execution to solve business and communication challenges.
- POSITIVE IMPACT Group – celebrating creative ideas that drive meaningful change across society, including sustainability, diversity, health, inclusion, and public responsibility.
The new framework reinforces MAD STARS’ long-standing mission to recognize creativity that not only achieves commercial success but also contributes positively to society.
Five Specialized Jury Panels
The 42 Final Jurors announced to date are divided across five specialist panels, each aligned with specific award categories and disciplines:
Traditional
Covering Film, Outdoor, Print, and Audio, this panel focuses on storytelling craft and creative execution in established media channels.
Executive Jury member Sandipan Bhattacharyya, Chief Creative Officer at Monks, leads a panel that includes senior creatives from Publicis London, McCann New Zealand, Grey Hong Kong, Dentsu Japan, Innocean, and other leading agencies.
Experience
Evaluating Brand Experience, Activation, Commerce, PR, and Health categories, this jury examines work that builds meaningful engagement between brands and audiences.
The panel is headed by Raja Rajamannar, Senior Fellow and former Chief Marketing & Communications Officer of Mastercard, alongside creative leaders from FP7 McCann, Hakuhodo, VML, TREYNA Group Philippines, and Cheil CIS.
Entertainment
Focused on Branded Entertainment, Music, Gaming, Sports, Design, and Diverse Insights, this group recognizes creativity that thrives at the intersection of brands and culture.
The jury is led by Anny Havercroft, Global Head of Product MarComs at TikTok, and includes senior creatives from GREY, Horizon FCB Dubai, TBWA China, HERO McCann, and electriclimeº.
Strategy
Responsible for categories including Strategy, Media, Integrated, Data Insights, SDGs, and Place Brand, this panel evaluates the strategic thinking behind successful creative solutions.
Executive Jury member Tara McKenty, Chief Creative Officer at AKQA Australia & New Zealand, is joined by notable industry leaders including Mohammad Akrum Hossain, Chief Creative Officer of Bangladesh-based agency POP5, along with executives from Grab, TBWA\HAKUHODO, Saatchi & Saatchi Taiwan, and KMG Group.
Digital
The Digital jury focuses on Mobile, Interactive, Social & Influencer, and Innovation categories, reflecting the evolving role of technology in creativity.
Led by Aurora Straton, Creative Lead at Google, the panel includes leaders from X (formerly Twitter), Ogilvy South Africa, Dentsu Digital, TBWA Korea, Hakuhodo International Vietnam, and BBDO Guerrero.
Industry Leaders Guiding Final Judging
The final-stage judging process is overseen by five Executive Jury members who collectively bring expertise in technology, creativity, marketing effectiveness, and brand leadership:
- Sandipan Bhattacharyya, Monks
- Raja Rajamannar, Former Mastercard CMO
- Anny Havercroft, TikTok
- Tara McKenty, AKQA
- Aurora Straton, Google
Together with the Final Jury, they will determine the winners across all award categories during the in-person judging sessions in Busan.
How the Judging Process Works
All submitted entries first undergo online Preliminary Judging, followed by a First Round of Final Judging, also conducted digitally.
Projects that advance beyond these stages will be evaluated during the Second and Final Rounds of Judging in Busan, South Korea, where jurors will review, discuss, and vote on the year’s best work.
Winners will be revealed during the MAD STARS Awards Show on August 28, 2026.
The festival’s highest distinction, Grand Prix of the Year, will be awarded to two entries—one from the SOLUTION Group and one from the POSITIVE IMPACT Group.
Final Call for Entries
MAD STARS 2026 is currently accepting submissions across:
- 2 Groups
- 25 Stars
- 442 Categories
With the final jury now taking shape and the submission deadline approaching, the festival is calling on agencies, brands, production companies, media organizations, and creative professionals worldwide to submit their best work before June 15, 2026.
MAD STARS 2026 will take place from August 26–28, 2026, at SIGNIEL BUSAN and venues throughout the Haeundae district of Busan, South Korea, under the festival theme:
“AMPLIFY”
A theme that reflects the festival’s commitment to elevating creative ideas that generate business growth, cultural impact, and positive change around the world.
