NEW: Branding Agency of the Year

This award recognises the best agencies specialising in helping organisations create, launch, define, reposition and manage their brand identity and direction. 

Judges will consider how the agency has demonstrated positive impact on client organisations through strategic planning and execution of branding projects.

Creative Agency of the Year

This category recognises the best agencies specialising in creative marketing and advertising. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams, in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

Digital Agency of the Year

This award recognises the best agencies providing digital solutions. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams – in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

Events and Experiential Agency of the Year

This award recognises the best agencies specialising in creating branded experiences and events for clients, employing strategic practices to deliver on client-briefs. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams – in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-today operations.

NEW: Holding Company of the Year

This award recognises the top-performing holding company in the region based on its financial performance during the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. 

Judges will also consider factors such as business growth, client retention, expansion of integrated offerings, leadership and innovation, demonstrable investment in R&D, influence within the industry, and commitment to talent and culture.

NEW: In-House Agency of the Year

This award recognises an internal agency entity within a brand, which services the brand and/or external clients of its own, and has demonstrated outstanding strategic impact, operational efficiency, and has driven business growth for the brand and its clients.

Integrated Marketing Agency of the Year

This award recognises the best agencies specialising in providing the best integrated marketing and branding solutions. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown yearon-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams – in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

Media Agency of the Year

This award recognises the very best agencies working in media management. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams – in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

Performance Marketing Agency of the Year

This award acknowledges agencies that best demonstrate a consistent ability to translate consumer intentions into revenue for clients, deliver ROI-based campaign activity and drive sales results for clients across geographies. 

Judges will look at the use of intention-based media (e.g. search, social) to deliver client results, along with exceptional execution of biddable media and digital exchanges to drive results, as well as consistent use of measurement and attribution to measure media ROI and business impact.

PR/Communications Agency of the Year

This award recognises outstanding practices, business performance and excellent work of PR consultancies in the region. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams – in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

Production House of the Year

This award recognises the best production house in the region. 

Judges will evaluate overall business outcomes in terms of delivery, growth, culture, talent and operational best practices. 

Social Media Agency of the Year

This award recognises the best agencies specialising in delivering social media solutions for brands. 

Judges will consider how the agency has implemented innovative strategies to deliver on client briefs, growth, culture, talent and operational best practices. 

Independent Creative Agency of the Year

Open to independent creative agencies and agencies that are not majority owned by a holding company or network (less than 49%). Agencies not eligible are those who are either majority, fully backed by or sharing resources with a holding company or using a holding agency brand name. The scoring for business results has a higher weighting in the independent categories. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams – in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

Independent Media Agency of the Year

Open to independent media agencies and agencies that are not majority owned by a holding company or network (less than 49%). Agencies not eligible are those who are either majority, fully backed by or sharing resources with a holding company or using a holding agency brand name. The scoring for business results has a higher weighting in the independent categories. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams – in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

Independent PR Agency of the Year

Open to independent PR agencies and agencies that are not majority owned by a holding company or network (less than 49%). Agencies not eligible are those who are either majority, fully backed by or sharing resources with a holding company or using a holding agency brand name. The scoring for business results has a higher weighting in the independent categories. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams, in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

Start Up/NEW Agency of the Year

Open to agencies that are within their first three years of operation in the Middle East by October 2025. All disciplines are welcome. 

Judges will consider how the agency has performed financially, grown year-on-year in terms of its revenue, has successfully defended clients and won new client accounts, built its teams, in strength and numbers, and has demonstrated innovation, core values and R&D within its day-to-day operations.

This section recognises the best agencies across all specialties within specific markets in the Middle East and North Africa. 

Judges will consider agencies that have demonstrated significant success in business and financial growth, talent development and culture, and that have consistently delivered strong business outcomes.

Best Agency - Egypt

Best Agency - Iraq

Best Agency - Jordan

Best Agency - Oman

Best Agency - Qatar

Best Agency - Saudi Arabia

Best Agency - UAE

Account Person of the Year

This award recognises professionals responsible for client account management who have displayed the most innovation, skills and enthusiasm in bringing the benefits of advertising to their clients’ businesses, resulting in the development of solid business relationships. 

Judges will consider contribution to the agency and clients, client relationship management, client retention as well as new business wins and positive organic growth for clients.

Agency Producer or Team of the Year

This award recognises agency producers who have displayed the most innovation, skills and enthusiasm when executing agencies’ campaign ideas. 

Judges will consider the agency producers’ contribution to the agency and their clients, how they made difficult executions happen, contributed to the most creative campaigns and facilitated long lasting relationships with clients in the process.

Arabic Copywriter of the Year

This category is open to copywriters working full time or part-time as Arabic copywriters. This award recognises the impact the Arabic copywriter has had on campaign outcomes for a client, as well as his/her impact in helping the agency win a pitch or retain/ defend a key client. The agency recommendation must highlight how this Arabic copywriter has positively affected its business goals – to sustain, scale or grow its market share.

Best Place to Work in 2025

This award sets out to recognise an agency/agency network that goes above and beyond the norm to foster the most productive and rewarding working environment possible. 

Judges will look at how companies create cultural diversity, cultivate an inspirational vision and provide a purpose, balance and career development for its employees. Entrants are asked to provide evidence of high staff engagement, retention and a ‘best in class’ approach when judged against agencies globally.

Corporate Communications Person or Team of the Year

Open to the communications person or marketing team within the agency. This award recognises success in addressing issues related to corporate communications, reputation, brand-building, corporate campaign execution and media relations. This will be one award to recognise a professional or a team. 

Judges will look for ability to establish/ reinforce communications’ role in the agency and the C-suite; impact on the agency’s broader reputation; creativity and originality of programmes; and the strategy and execution of those programmes, as well as their bottom-line impact.

Creative Leader of the Year

This award recognises creative leaders who have demonstrated the impact they’ve had on the agencies they work with, in terms of innovation, development, growth, and delivering business outcomes through unique or disruptive approaches. 

Judges will consider recognition received at the major recognised award shows and – if they are in a senior leadership role – the individual’s contribution to staff development initiatives, particularly their involvement in nurturing young talent, and how their work has contributed to the role or image of advertising in the region. Samples of the nominee’s work will be required as support materials

NEW: CSR Initiative of the Year

This award recognises effective value-driven and community-oriented outreach by an agency that has had a tangible impact within specific societies and geographies. Winning companies will prove how they have gone beyond token gestures to have a positive impact on the planet and people’s lives through their programmes.

NEW: Head of Agency

This award recognises the heads of Middle East agencies who have individually done the most to advance their agency in the industry. 

Judges will consider the individual’s achievements during the eligibility period, including delivery against objectives, size of local operation, client profile and disciplines, new business wins, client retention, personal involvement in staff development initiatives, innovation with results, agency development and contribution to the role or image of the marketing communications industry in their market. 

Note: this category is broken down by discipline, with separate awards for each of these subcategories: 

• Creative 
• Digital 
• Media/Performance 
• PR 

NEW: Head of Network

This award recognises the heads of Middle East agencies who have individually done the most to advance their network in the industry. 

Judges will consider the individual’s achievements during the eligibility period, including delivery against objectives, size of local operation, client profile and disciplines, new business wins, client retention, personal involvement in staff development initiatives, innovation with results, network development and contribution to the role or image of the advertising, marketing and communications industry in their market.

New Business Development Team Person or Team of the Year

This award is for the new business development person or team who has proven to have built and developed a new account or accounts, or expanded the services of an established client relationship or relationships. This will be one award to recognise a professional and a team. 

Judges will consider the achievements during the eligibility period, including achievement against objectives, client profiles and disciplines, new business wins and retained accounts, client growth, and solid examples of leadership in new business development initiatives that contributed to the success and financial growth of the agency.

Outstanding Women in Advertising or Media

This category is open to any woman working in an individual or team role within an agency. Entrants should be able to demonstrate outstanding meritorious performance with clear contribution to client’s brand and business outcomes, leadership acumen, mentorship, as well as contribution to value-driven initiatives within their respective organisations or recognised industry bodies.

Strategic Planning Team or Person of the Year

This award is for the strategic planning professionals who have made the biggest impact on their clients’ advertising through the effective use of media planning, advertising planning, creative strategy planning, content planning, brand strategy planning or customer experience planning during the review period. This will be one award to recognise a professional or a team. 

Judges will consider the individual’s or team’s contribution to agency and client, as well as strategic skills, examples of approaches to problem solving and ability to intelligently recommend and explore new and diverse platform options. Entrants should also demonstrate the results of their work where possible.

Talent management Individual or Team of the Year

This award recognises the talent management professional or team that has most effectively aligned the network’s people strategies with business outcomes during the review period. This will be one award to recognise a professional or a team. 

Judges will consider the individual’s or team’s ability to develop and implement effective talent management strategies that include talent acquisition and retention, learning and staff development, succession planning and management, agency culture integration as well as reward and recognition initiatives.