NYF Advertising Awards Names Eight Visionary Leaders as 2026 Specialty Jury Chairs

NYF and the 4A’s Expand In-Person Judging Program with Specialty Executive Juries

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, February 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- New York Festivals Advertising Awards^® 2026 season marks a significant evolution for the New York Festivals Advertising Awards, with a substantially expanded in-person judging program developed in partnership with the 4A’s. This expansion introduces Specialty Executive Juries, created to ensure that work in emerging and highly specialized disciplines is evaluated by senior industry leaders with deep, category-specific expertise.

Seasoned, pioneering, and recognized for innovation in their respective fields, these Specialty Executive Jury Chairs bring unparalleled experience to their categories, guiding deliberations and championing work that sets the benchmark for creativity, strategy, and cultural impact worldwide.

2026 NYF Advertising Awards Specialty Executive Jury Chairs include:

Baked in New York (New for 2026) – Omid Amidi, Chief Creative Officer, McKinney
Celebrating work conceived and created by New York–based teams, honoring bold ideas forged under real pressure and judged by leaders who know what it takes to make it here.

“New York is pressure. Cultural pressure, time pressure, economic pressure, relevance pressure. And that’s exactly why it matters to recognize work that’s actually conceived and produced here,” said Omid Amidi, Chief Creative Officer, McKinney. “Ideas made in New York aren’t protected by distance or novelty. They’re tested immediately by one of the most diverse, skeptical, overstimulated audiences in the world. If something works here, it’s because it knows how to get unfair attention, not because it was insulated from reality.”

Sports (New for 2026) – Shannon Washington, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, 11 Ounces
Recognizing work at the intersection of sport, culture, creators, and community and spotlighting ideas that move fast, feel authentic, and make undeniable impact.

“Sports has always been a powerful cultural space, but what's different now is that we've finally stopped treating it like it exists in a vacuum separate from the rest of culture. The barriers between sports, music, fashion, tech, and social movements have completely dissolved, and that's created this incredible playground for creativity. What excites me most is that the work that wins now isn't just about celebrating athletic achievement anymore. It's about understanding that sports is where identity gets formed, where community gets built, where culture is nurtured,” said Shannon Washington, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, 11 Ounces.

“From my seat as someone who's been a (horrible) player, a fan, and a creative leader that now works at this intersection, I'm energized by recognizing work that moves culture forward, not just reflects it, understands intimacy at scale, and puts athletes, teams, and fan communities at the center, not as props. Sports is having this moment because it's one of the last truly shared experiences we have. And the creative work that honors that authentically, that's what I'm here to recognize. And we're going to have FUN.”

Creative Strategic Marketing / Effectiveness (New for 2026) – Ellie Bamford, Chief Strategy Officer, North America, VML
Spotlighting ideas that solve complex marketing challenges through smart strategy and creative execution, honoring work that delivers clear objectives, measurable results, and real business impact.

“My mission is always to advocate for the value and power of strategy to create work that works,” said Ellie Bamford, Chief Strategy Officer, North America, VML. “This brand-new category matters because it shines a light on the false choice between art and commerce. Great work isn't a beautiful campaign with a spreadsheet of results stapled to it; it's a single, compelling story. Winners will show that creativity is the most powerful, and measurable, economic multiplier a business and brand can wield."

Future Now – Colleen Shaw, EVP, Media + Senior Consultant at Omnicom (Business Transformation & Solutions)
A future-facing category honoring breakthrough digital and mobile ideas powered by emerging platforms and technologies, where experimentation becomes execution and tomorrow’s creative standards are defined.

Film Craft – Will Dempster, Partner & Head of Production, Mischief USA
Celebrating excellence in film craft, recognizing the artistry, precision, and execution behind the industry’s most compelling visual storytelling.

Design + Package & Product Design – Emily Oberman, Partner, Pentagram
Honoring world-class design thinking across brand systems, packaging, and product design that shapes the visual language of today’s most influential brands.

Financial + Creativity in Commerce – Peter Gosselin, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, CAPE
Recognizing bold creative ideas that drive growth and measurable business impact, proving creativity is a powerful engine for commerce and finance.

PR – Josh Budd, Chief Creative Officer, Citizen Relations
Honoring public relations work that shapes perception, drives conversation, and earns cultural relevance through strategic thinking and storytelling.

Specialty Executive Jury sessions will be held in May 2026.

The New York Festivals Advertising Awards competition receives entries from more than 60 countries and is judged by more than 400 members of NYF’s Executive and Shortlist Juries who collectively cast their votes to select the year’s trophy-winning work. Additional jury announcements will be revealed in the weeks ahead.

The early bird deadline to enter the 2026 New York Festivals Advertising Awards is February 27, 2026. For more information on categories, rules, and regulations, visit https://home.nyfadvertising.com/. View the 2025 Advertising Awards winners’ showcase.

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Gayle Seminara Mandel
New York Festivals
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