The Australian Marketing Institute has announced the finalists for its 2026 Marketing Excellence Awards.
Entries were assessed by 86 Certified Practising Marketers.
This year's finalists include 17 campaign categories including acquisition marketing, brand revitalisation, data and insight-driven marketing, sustainability and purpose-driven marketing, and excellence in the use of AI and technology.
Work spans financial services, retail, government, education, not-for-profit, health, hospitality and manufacturing.
Finalists:
Lisa Ronson Emerging Marketer of the Year: Darshan Hitesh Pawani, Starcom; Gigi Parikh, Fidante; Laura Jeffries, Google; Rhianna Lieu, Paper + Spark; Jose Alejandro Plazas Garrido, Them Advertising.
Future Leader of the Year: Josh Fritz, Patch Agency; Katherine Venus, NAB; Rob Di Giovanni, Bonfire; Sophie Harris, Wesfarmers Health; Margot Alais, Paper + Spark.
CPM of the Year: Jo Rao, Wink; Hayley Boneham, Capital Partners; Steve Fontanot, Havas Red and Havas Blvd; Kate Coleridge, Coleridge Creative; Hunter Leonard, Blue Frog Marketing.
CMO of the Year: Renee Howie, Insignia Financial; Anand Surujpal, Patties Food Group; Joanne Smith, Blackmores Group; Matt Vince, Tassal Seafood; Caroline Raj, ServiceNow.
Agency of the Year (under 50 employees): MKTG Sports + Entertainment, The Dubs Agency, Floodlight Agency, Outta Spatial, Bonfire, Bennett, The Creative Collective, Wink, Paper + Spark and Anchora. Over 50 employees: Thinkerbell and Apparent.
Marketing Team of the Year: Coles Liquorland, Anytime Fitness Australia, Origin, Development Victoria, Ingenia Holidays, Wesfarmers Health Retail, The University of Sydney, Tassal Seafood and Peninsula Hot Springs.
The AMI Life Member Award and Sir Charles McGrath Award will be revealed at the ceremony. Winners will be announced at the AMI Marketing Excellence Awards Long Lunch September 11 at ILUMINA, Sydney.
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