Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) has opened entries for the 35th edition of its awards, which recognise creative excellence in advertising, design, and communications across Europe.
The biggest change in this year’s edition relates to the participation criteria. For the first time in the history of the ADCE Awards, entries are no longer limited exclusively to winners of national and regional competitions. The right to enter is now extended to all participants of eligible European competitions, opening the door for a significantly larger number of agencies, studios, designers, and creatives to present their work on the European stage.
Eligible entrants include participants from competitions organised by ADCE‘s 25 member clubs, as well as selected European competitions run by organisations outside the membership network. The final deadline for submissions is 25 September 2026.
This year’s edition also introduces a new discipline titled Creativity by Industry Sectors, created with the aim of evaluating creative work through the specific characteristics of the industries to which it belongs. The new discipline encompasses 40 categories across sectors such as consumer goods, healthcare, automotive and mobility, finance, insurance and retail, technology and media, travel, tourism and HORECA, education, entertainment and culture, and sports.
New categories reflecting the evolution of creative practices have also been added, while the Local Insight category has been introduced across all existing disciplines, dedicated to projects rooted in local culture, communities, and regional relevance.
The jury, composed of leading European creatives and designers, will conduct the first two rounds of judging online during October, while the final round will take place in person at Disseny Hub Barcelona as part of the ADCE Creative Week programme. As in previous years, the final judging session will be open to the public, offering attendees the opportunity to witness the selection of the Special Awards and the Grand Prix winners. The winners of the ADCE Awards 2026 will be announced on 20 November during the closing evening of ADCE Creative Week.
As part of The One Club for Creativity, all winning entries earn points towards The One Club Global Creative Rankings, a global ranking system that aggregates the results of the world’s most significant creative competitions and provides additional international visibility for European agencies, brands, and creatives.
