Creative Awards – 2026 Shortlist
The prolific north creative awards recognise the organisations, teams and individuals putting the north on the map in the creative and digital sectors.
Check out the extraordinary talent shortlisted this year ahead of the awards ceremony on 25th June at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester.
Advertising Campaign: Medium Sponsored by Buymedia
- Cairn & Blum – MERIVOBOX launch
- Factory International – Marina Abramović: Balkan Erotic Epic Campaign
- IMA & Autotrader – It’s Time for Autotrader
- The Gate / Ardmore Group & Northern Ireland’s Department of Infrastructure – Road Safety Campaign
Advertising Campaign: Large - Sponsored by Buymedia
- CreativeRace & Northern Trains – “We’re Northern, just like you”
- Gate & The National Lottery – National Lottery’s Because of You
Best Collaboration - Sponsored by Propello Cloud
- Bish Bash Bentos – Reigniting love for a Great British brand
- Cat Among The Pigeons & Birds Eye – Win Trips With Chips
- IMA & Adidas – The Band with the 3 stripes
- Listen to your body – NWCR & Cancer Alliance
- Liverpool City Region Combined Authority & OneMay – Digital Inclusion
- Very & various brands (incl. L’Oreal, Shark Ninja, River Island) – Party Season: From Midnight to Morning Light.
Brand Launch/Activation or Event
- Holdens x Rocket Sports & Novuna – Novuna Champions
- Mearns & Gill x Wild Goose – Brand Launch
- Visual Architects & CASA SEAT – ‘Magic Days’
Rebrand
- Outdo
- Pharmacy2U
- The Bigger Boat – Dominion
- The Bigger Boat – William Henry Smith Foundation
- THINK & Agecko – Waste not, want not. A bold brand reposition built for consultancy leadership.
Healthcare Campaign
- Epilepsy Action & Magpie – If I Told You
- Eski & South East Smokefree Alliance – Stop Smoking, Feel Happier
- Influential & North West Cancer Research – SPF, even in the North West!
- Lhasa Limited – Rapid CPCA integration into Derek Nexus following global nitrosamine guideline changes
- Medical Protection Society – Medical and Dental Students
- SM92 & Home Instead – A Story In Every Home
- Vivid & Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance – Two Minutes of Chat and an Eariy Screening
Social Impact & Public Good
- Calderdale College – Applications Now Open
- Influential & Liverpool City Council – Talking Bins
- Jack Fox Productions – Think North Project
- STV Creative – Glasgow City Council Cycle to School
- The Gate & Northern Ireland’s Department of Infrastructure – Ardmore Group & Road Safety Campaign
- Weber Shandwick & Cadent – From Cold Truth to Warmth and Dignity
Most Impactful OOH & Ambient Campaign
- driven & Toft Cricket Club – The World’s Biggest Wickets
- Equinox Group & Digitain – ICE Barcelona
- Halton Borough Council/Tony Mallon – Winds of Change
- Ocean Outdoor and TBWA MCR & Prost8 – ‘Dodge the Finger’
- The Broadway Bradford – Delivering Social Value at the Heart of the Community
- Weber Shandwick & Knorr – Knorrplay is the new foreplay
Recognising Content
Branding & Visual Identity: Small - Sponsored by Print.com
- co&co & Found – Sundown Sessions Vol.2
- Hitch Marketing & Leicestershire Police – ‘Speak Out Space’ hate crime hub
- Influential & Champs Public Health Collaborative – Smoking Ends Here
- Vivid Everywhere & East Staffordshire / Burton – Upon It All
Best Use of Social & Engagement
- Hedonist Creative & Pepsi – In The Mix
- Perfect Storm & Stagecoach – A Ticket For Life
- Vivid Everywhere & Halton Borough Council – Beyond the Tracks
Excellence in Creative Craft (Audio, Visual & Motion)
- APS Group & Joint Maritime Security Centre – Operation Keel Film
- BWP Group & Trafford Centre – Escape Ordinary
- CreativeRace & Greggs – Christmas Characters
- Distant Future Animation Studio & Lloyds Register Foundation – Maritime Connected
- Flow Creative – Releasing Hope
- Our Studio Ltd – Visual Storytelling for the Built Environment
- Poke Marketing – EFL Rainbow Ball
- STV Creative & Glasgow City Council – That Cycle to School Feeling
- The Gate / Ardmore Group & Northern Ireland’s Department of Infrastructure – Road Safety Campaign
Master of Narrative
- Two Stories & Lancaster BID – Love Lancaster, A City with a Story
- Neil Anderson Media Ltd & Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trust – Defiant Voices: Telling the Story of the Sheffield Blitz Generation
- Poke Marketing – Novo Nordisk “The Knowledge”
- Sam Teale Productions Ltd – Rock Face Father’s Day Campaign
- “We’re Northern, just like you” – CreativeRace x Northern Trains
Special Awards
Creative for Good - Sponsored by Colony
- A Few Good Things & National Museums Liverpool – What Artists Wear Series
- Absolute Agency – Race to Save Lives Campaign
- Applied Systems & hūmānus – Rebrand to open new funding pathways and partnerships with law firms
- Bewonder* & Capture DSRCT Charity – The first international DSRCT charity
- BSC Socials & KidsBank Chester – “A Gift of Forever”
- Hitch Marketing & Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance – Bowel Cancer Awareness Campaign
- Neil Anderson Media Ltd – Sheffield Blitz 85th: Preserving a City’s Living Memory
- Sam Teale Productions – 2025 Christmas Advert
- Sheepish Productions Theatre Company Limited – Fishlake
- Studio OBI & The Macari Centre – A Stepping Stone
Challenger Brand Award - Sponsored by BuyMedia
- !Coconut
- Be Your Own Coach
- Films Not Words & The Corinthians – We Were The Champions
Recognising Companies and People
Best Brand (In-House) Team
- CARZAR Creative
- Northumbrian Water Group
- Wienerberger
Production Company
- adam+gary
- Eski
- Sam Teale Productions Ltd
Creative Trailblazer
- Brett Harris – Gaydio
- Dr Ria Meera Munshi
- Michael Nixon – Mike Nixon Ltd
- Samuel Marriott-Dowding – Marriott Communications
Creative Rising Star - Sponsored by Colony
- Eleanor Duckers – Chilli
- Emma White – Key Integrated Services
- Eraj Lodhi – Plot Out Loud
- Hannah Robinson – Home Marketing
- Hannah Wainwright – PureGym
- Jack Donohoe – Jack Fox Productions
- Luis Wyatt – Gaydio
- Matthew Haywood – Matthew Haywood (@MatthewHaywoodX)
- Rowan Monk – Bold St Media
- Yasmin Stringer – Pharmacy2U
2026 Sponsors
Propello Cloud
BuyMedia
Print.com
