ADCE reveals jury presidents for 2026 Awards

The judging process will begin with online sessions before moving to live deliberations in Barcelona

The Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) has announced the jury presidents and full jury for the 35th ADCE Awards, bringing together more than 55 creative professionals from 25 European countries to assess work across advertising, design and other creative disciplines.

The judging process will begin with online sessions before moving to live deliberations in Barcelona on November 17 and 18. Turkey will join the ADCE network in 2026, contributing to the record number of countries represented on the jury.

ADCE appoints jury presidents for 2026 Awards

Dörte Spengler-Ahrens, Chairwoman of Jung von Matt Group and recently appointed ADCE President, will serve as Overall Jury President. She will oversee the judging process and help ensure consistency across the evaluation while representing the organization’s creative standards.

The discipline jury presidents are Riccardo Fregoso, CCO Southern Europe at Dentsu Creative, for Film & Audio; Márton Jedlicska, ECD at Publicis Media, for Print & Outdoor; and Juliana Paracencio, ECD at Droga5, for Interactive & Mobile.

Jury leaders cover seven creative disciplines

Liza Enebeis, CD and partner at Studio Dumbar/DEPT, will lead the Design jury, while Malcolm Poynton, former Global CCO at Cheil Worldwide, will oversee Brand Development & Experience.

Alejandro di Trolio, CCO at Cheil, will chair Integrated & Innovation, and Sophia Lindholm, independent creative leader and former Forsman & Bodenfors creative, will lead Creativity by Industry Sectors.

New eligibility rules expand ADCE Awards entry

The 2026 competition also introduces revised eligibility rules. For the first time, projects that have entered one of the eligible local awards can compete at European level, expanding access to creatives and projects from across the continent.

Entries close on September 25, 2026. Winners will be announced at the Awards Gala Ceremony on November 20 during ADCE Creative Week in Barcelona.

Industry sectors discipline joins ADCE Awards

Creativity by Industry Sectors will debut as a discipline in 2026, with Lindholm leading its inaugural jury. The judging panel will combine creative leaders with two client representatives to bring additional perspectives to the evaluation of entries.

The discipline will consider creative quality alongside the strategic, cultural and industry context of each project.

Final judging round opens to the public

Jurors will award Gold, Silver and Bronze distinctions across disciplines and select the Grand Prix. They will also choose the ADCE Special Awards: the European Star – Johannes Newrkla, Genius Loci, Green Star and Equal Star.

The third and final judging round, in which the Grand Prix and Special Awards are decided, will again be open to the public as part of ADCE Creative Week. Attendees will be able to observe the jury’s discussions and decisions in Barcelona.

www.adceurope.org

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