The 23 Top Marketing Agency Awards For Your Portfolio
In my previous article, we talked about the value of marketing agency awards. Are they truly worth the time, effort, and shiny suits? (Picture Mase and Puffy in a 90s music video; although nobody wears shiny suits to awards shows, let’s roll with it because I want to paint a picture for you). While these awards may not directly bring in your next major client, they do offer undeniable benefits. Today, I’ll present a list of the top agency awards you should know about. Armed with this information, you’ll be able to assess whether any of these awards can help you achieve your goals.
Now, keep in mind that this list doesn't cover sector-specific industry awards. Let's say you've carved out a niche in education, and your firm happens to snag an EdTech award. Such an award, although not on this list, would be celebrated by potential clients. Many of the marketing agency awards on this list, though highly regarded within the industry, will have limited awareness with many of your clients.
Before we dive into the list, I'd like to provide a quick history lesson on the first agency award shows.
The Beginnings of Advertising Agency Awards
During the heyday of the 'Mad Men' era in the 50s and 60s, marketing and advertising award competitions started gaining popularity. The Cannes International Festival of Creativity kicked off in 1954, and shortly after, the first Clio Awards show debuted in 1959. They aimed to showcase the brightest stars in television advertising. Then came a wave of other award shows: D&AD (1962), The Andys (1964), Effies (1968), and The One Show (1973). These OG advertising awards have withstood the test of time and remain highly coveted accolades in our industry.
Now, let's jump into our list of the top marketing agency awards (in alphabetical order).
1. AdAge Small Agency Awards
The AdAge Small Agency Awards honor small, independent agencies that excel in three key areas: delivering exceptional work for clients, building a financially sound business, and fostering a diverse and fulfilling work environment. These awards specifically celebrate agencies with fewer than 150 employees (though it’s debatable whether that truly qualifies as “small”). Visit this link for more information about the awards: https://adage.com/events
2. Adcolor Awards
The Adcolor Awards celebrate and honor the achievements of professionals from Arab/MENA, African-American/Black, American Indian/Native American, Asian Pacific-American, Hispanic/Latine, LGBTQ+, and Disabled backgrounds, as well as diversity and inclusion champions in the creative industries. For details about the awards, you can visit their website: https://adcolor.org/awards/
3. Addy Awards
The Addy Awards, organized by the American Advertising Federation, consist of a three-tier, national competition. The local tier is the first stage, where participants compete to receive an ADDY Award and be recognized as the best in their markets. Local ADDY winners then advance to district competitions, and finally, district winners move on to the national stage. You can learn more about the Addy Awards by visiting this link: https://www.aaf.org
4. Adweek Fastest Growing
The Adweek Fastest Growing Awards honor agencies, both large and small, from around the world, whose industry presence is on the rise. These agencies have achieved significant revenue growth over the past three years. Fun fact: one of my clients has made the list the past two years. For more details about the awards, check out their website: https://www.adweekfastestgrowing.com/
5. Andys Awards
The Andys Awards, also known as The Andys, is an "idea" based show that recognizes outstanding work across all mediums and forms, with equal consideration given to craft, reset/innovation, and bravery. Unlike other awards, The Andys do not have categories. Interestingly, in the last three years, they have successfully predicted the winning work at other shows 90% of the time. https://www.andyawards.com/
6. B2B Marketing Awards
The B2B Marketing Awards are internationally recognized as the gold standard for excellence in creativity and commercial effectiveness in B2B. They celebrate the industry’s high fliers: those who are setting new standards, raising the bar, and showing the world that B2B marketing can be just as - if not more - creative and innovative than B2C. https://events.b2bmarketing.net/b2bawards
7. Cannes Lions
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, is one of the most prestigious advertising and marketing award shows in the world. It was founded in 1954 in Cannes, France, and initially focused on celebrating creative excellence in television advertising. Over the years, it has expanded to include other categories, such as print, outdoor, radio, digital, and more. To learn more, visit: https://www.canneslions.com/
8. Clios
The Clio Awards celebrate bold work that propels the advertising industry forward, inspires competition, and fosters meaningful connections within the creative community. Discover more here: https://clios.com/awards
9. Communicator Awards
The Communicator Awards honors work that transcends craft—work that made a lasting impact, and provides an equal chance of winning to all entrants regardless of company or agency size and project budget. Learn more about the Communicator Awards: https://www.communicatorawards.com/awards/
10. Content Marketing Awards
As the name suggests, these awards are tailored for agencies that specialize in providing content marketing services to clients. The awards include over 60 categories recognizing all aspects of content marketing, from strategy to distribution. https://www.contentmarketingawards.com
11. D&AD Awards
The D&Ad Awards aim to stimulate, enable, and award creative excellence in design and advertising. Formerly known as British Design & Art Direction (D&Ad) this event sets the bar high in terms of creative standards and is recognized worldwide for its iconic pencil-shaped trophies. Learn more: https://www.dandad.org/
12. Davey Awards
The Davey Awards showcases the creative achievements of "Davids" in the industry. Inspired by David's triumph over Goliath, these awards recognize the power of big ideas and the strength of small agencies. If you consider yourself a "David," don't miss the chance to enter the Davey Awards and compete among your peers for the recognition you deserve. Learn more: https://daveyawards.com
13. Digiday Awards
The Digiday Awards focus on technology, media buying, content marketing, and digital media. With esteemed judges, these awards are highly regarded in the industry. Find out more about the Digiday Awards: https://digiday.com/awards/
14. Drum Awards
The Drum Awards run award programs covering a wide variety of marketing niches and specialties including content, search, and social media. They're a global media outlet for the marketing and media industries. Take a look at their full list to see which program suits you best. https://www.thedrum.com/awards
15. Effies
The Effie Awards were introduced by the New York American Marketing Association with the aim of recognizing marketing effectiveness. They evaluate the impact of campaigns on brand performance and business results. Today, Effie celebrates effectiveness worldwide with programs spanning multiple markets. https://www.effie.org/
16. Epica Awards
What makes them unique is that they are the only creative prize judged by the press. More than 200 chief editors and senior reporters from trade, specialist, and mainstream titles in over 60 countries come together to judge these awards. They're open to agencies, design studios, production houses, advertisers, and digital marketers. Take a look: https://www.epica-awards.com
17. Hermes
At Hermes, winners come in all sizes, from individuals to conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies. The Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) administers and judges this awards show. Find out more about the Hermes Creative Awards: https://hermesawards.com
18. MarCom Awards
The MarCom Awards, administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), offer over 300 categories across digital media, print media, strategic communications, and more. You can find additional information here: https://marcomawards.com
19. One Show
The One Show, established by The One Club for Creativity, celebrates excellence in advertising, design, and marketing communications across various media channels. Their mission is to support and celebrate the success of the global creative community. You can learn more about The One Show here: https://oneshow.org/awards/
20. REGGIE Awards
The ANA REGGIE Awards celebrate the best brand activation marketing campaigns executed by brands and agencies. Categories vary from national to local campaigns with different budget levels, as well as specific disciplines like experiential, promotion, relationship, content, shopper/retail, influencer marketing, and more. https://www.reggieawards.org
21. Shorty Awards
The Shorty Awards is an international awards competition honoring the best work by brands, agencies, nonprofits, and individuals across digital and social platforms. Learn more here: https://shortyawards.com/
22. Summit Awards
The Summit Awards is independent and unrelated to any advertiser, magazine, trade association, ad club, or other outside influences. One of the unique aspects of the Summit Creative Award is its dedication to promoting diversity and fairness. It fosters a level playing field by limiting the size of companies eligible to compete, ensuring that small and medium-sized enterprises have the opportunity to shine. Link: https://www.summitawards.com
23. Webbys
The Webby Awards recognize excellence on the Internet. They honor outstanding work in 8 major media types, including websites, mobile sites, video, advertising, media & PR, social, apps, software, games, and podcasts, as well as immersive and virtual experiences. https://www.webbyawards.com/
Key Takeaway
There you have it — a quick overview of the top marketing agency awards. From well-established names like the Cannes Lions and Clios to niche-specific awards like the Content Marketing Awards and the Webbys, there is a broad range of awards that can help you reach your goals.
I like to think of awards as a byproduct of your focus on crafting campaigns that connect, resonate, and achieve tangible results. In other words, let the work do the talking, and the recognition will follow.