News

The Pitcher Awards, the pan‑African benchmark for creative excellence, has announced the winners of its 2026 edition, celebrating groundbreaking work from across the continent and beyond. This year marks a historic milestone as the festival welcomed entries from Mozambique and the United States of America for the very first time, underscoring its expanding global reach and commitment to celebrating creativity without borders.

Reflecting on this year's achievements, Dr. Nnamdi Ndu, Chairman of the Pitcher Festival, said:

“The 2026 Pitcher Awards showcase the extraordinary evolution of African creativity. This year's winners demonstrate a boldness, cultural depth, and technical mastery that continue to elevate our region on the global stage. Welcoming new countries into the competition—and seeing them excel—reinforces our belief that creativity truly has no borders. We celebrate every winner and look forward to an unforgettable 10th edition in 2027.”

Gold and Grand Prix winners were unveiled during the official streaming premiere, while all Shortlist, Bronze, and Silver recognitions are available on the festival website.

2026 Grand Prix & Gold Winners

Grand Prix

• Culture - Corporate Image & Reputation Management — NoVita by The Bar Africa for NuVita Biscuits, Kenya
• Heritage - Outdoor Ambient & Installations — MozaMbique Has 2M by Create Mozambique for 2M Beer, Mozambique

Gold

• Care - Public Health & Safety — La caravane d'excision – The FGM Caravan by L'Agence X for Mouvement femmes et paroles, Côte d'Ivoire
• Channel - Use of Media — MozaMbique Has 2M by Create Mozambique for 2M Beer, Mozambique
• Culture - Corporate Image & Reputation Management — Portrait of a Nation by Create Mozambique for Millennium Bim, Mozambique
• Culture - Use of Cultural Insights — Maggi Tales of Ramadan by All Seasons Zenith for Maggi, Nestlé Nigeria
• Culture - Use of Cultural Insights — NoVita by The Bar Africa for NuVita Biscuits, Kenya
• Culture - Use of Cultural Insights — MozaMbique Has 2M by Create Mozambique for 2M Beer, Mozambique
• Entertainment - Entertainment Film — First Beach by Dentsu Creative for Corona Africa, South Africa
• Effectiveness - Business Impact — 2M SAMMA FRESH by Create Mozambique for 2M Beer, Mozambique
• Heritage - Film — The Origin of Wonder by Dentsu Creative Kenya for Magical Kenya, Kenya Tourism Board
• Heritage - Outdoor Activations — BUSiness UNUSUAL by The Quollective for Kiira Motors Corporation, Uganda
• Heritage - Outdoor Ambient & Installations — Martell on the Move by PHD Nigeria for Pernod Ricard, Nigeria
• Heritage - Print — The Sun‑Powered Print Ad by Dentsu Creative South Africa for Corona Africa

Special Awards — 2026

• Digital Agency of the Year: digitXplus, Nigeria
• Media Agency of the Year: PHD Nigeria
• Advertising Agency of the Year: Create Mozambique
• Media Network of the Year: OMD
• Advertising Agency Network of the Year: Dentsu Africa
• Independent Network of the Year: The Quollective Africa
• Regional Holding Company of the Year: Omnicom Media Group
• Brand of the Year (National): 2M Beer Mozambique
• Brand of the Year (Multinational): Martell
• Marketing Company of the Year (National): Kiira Motors Corporation, Uganda
• Marketing Company of the Year (Multinational): AB InBev

Appreciation for the International Jury

The Pitcher Festival extends its deep appreciation to the international jury, composed of industry leaders from across Africa and beyond, who meticulously judged, curated, and benchmarked the 2026 entries. Their expertise and dedication ensured that this year's awards upheld the highest standards of creative excellence.

The category juries were led by the following Jury Presidents:

• Care — Kerstin Trikalitis, CEO & Co‑Founder, Out There Media
• Channel — Dozie Okafor, MD/CEO, PHD Nigeria & President, MIPAN
• Craft — Yash Deb, Co‑Founder & Creative Partner, The Bar Africa, Kenya
• Culture — Anand Badami, SVP & Growth Lead, Emerging Markets & Innovation, Publicis West Africa
• Digital — Karim Yermeche, CEO, Lotus Conseil, Algeria
• Good & Effectiveness — Dawn Rowlands, CEO, Dentsu Africa
• Entertainment — Steve Babaeko, CEO/CCO, X3M Ideas & Vice President, Area Director for Africa, IAA
• Heritage — Maxwell Ngari, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative East Africa

A Celebration of African Creativity

The 2026 edition once again highlighted the imagination, discipline, and creative excellence shaping the future of African storytelling. Winning entries will be featured globally as part of the Pitcher Showcase, the festival's traveling pop‑up exhibition.

As the Pitcher Awards prepares to celebrate its 10th edition in 2027, the festival looks ahead to an even grander celebration of a decade of creative excellence.

Explore all winners and recognized work at www.PitcherFestival.com or continue with more festival updates.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Pitcher Festival.

About the Pitcher Festival: 
The Pitcher Festival is Africa's leading celebration of creativity across marketing, advertising, media, PR, digital, entertainment, and related industries. At its core is the prestigious Pitcher Awards, the Pan‑African benchmark for creative excellence, honouring outstanding agencies, brands, and talent shaping the continent's narrative. Key tracks of the Festival include: Pitcher Awards, Pitcher Learning, Pitcher Archive, Pitcher Impact, and Pitcher Showcase.