The launch of the Newsworks Awards’ Best Use of Social, Audio or Video category heralded a bumper year for submissions that truly harnessed the full range of news brands’ multimedia portfolios.
Whether using podcasts, reels or long-form video, the judges were particularly impressed with the level of versatility that advertisers’ multiplatform campaigns showed, demonstrating trusted news brands’ effectiveness wherever consumers access their content.
This year’s entries have also demonstrated ample evidence of advertisers investing in news brands to increase their brand’s cultural relevance.
The very best entries leaned into the culturally rich environments journalism creates, reaping healthy campaign return on investment (ROI) as a result. This comes after Newsworks’ latest study found cultural relevance accounts for 15% of a brand’s total sales. News brands’ total ROI for every pound spent sits at £3.97, with 45p attributed to their cultural relevance alone.
Our panel of leading industry figures from brands and agencies was chaired by Sara Holt, chief marketing officer at Center Parcs UK and Ireland.
Holt said: “Chairing the Newsworks Awards 2026 has been wonderful: tremendous debate, lots of different perspectives among the judges and a huge breadth of fantastic entries for us to agonise over.
“I’ve particularly enjoyed seeing how businesses have used news brands to push the boundaries of advertising within their sector. The very best submissions have been the ones that have combined that originality with the relevance and creativity that news brands provide in spades.
“A massive congratulations to all our finalists. I can’t wait to toast the winners at the awards party.”
The winners, including a Grand Prix Campaign of the Year chosen by Holt, will be revealed at an awards party at London’s 12th Knot rooftop bar on Tuesday 1 December.
One category has still yet to have been decided: Newsworks’ annual Ad of the Year award. Now in its third year, the category’s shortlist features the top three campaigns from each of Newsworks’ four seasonal polls — as voted by the industry and our RAM readers’ panel.
With our 12 finalists now in place, it’s up to you to vote for the ad you think is deserving of a golden Newsworks Awards trophy. Votes close on Thursday 19 November, with every vote cast entered into our Apple Watch prize draw.
Newsworks CEO Jo Allan said: “Multiplatform news brands have become part and parcel of effective advertising in news, as demonstrated by the growing number of submissions embracing several formats in 2026.
“The number of entries that made cultural relevance a key part of their submission was also fantastic to see. Campaigns that harness news brands’ unique role in culture are more likely to see strong ROI as a result — that was certainly the case with many in our shortlist this year.
“Thanks to all those who entered and a huge congratulations to all those on our shortlist.”
Alongside Holt on this year’s judging panel were senior industry figures including the7stars founder Jenny Biggam, MG OMD managing director David Bratt, Craft Media London founder Sally Weavers, TUI head of international marketing Rachel Moss, Boots head of media strategy and planning Amy Caven and Hiscox UK head of media strategy Ed Birth.
Newsworks Awards 2026 shortlist
Best Display Campaign
- Aldi, “Aldi Loyalty 2026”, Starcom
- BetVictor, “Betting Against the Blocklist”, Bountiful Cow
- McDonald’s, “Secret Menu”, OMD UK
- Monzo, “Get Your Money Moving”, Starcom
Best Content Partnership — up to £250k media investment
- Butchers Dog Food, “Paw-sitivley In Love with Mail Metro Media”, Notorious Communications
- Channel 4, “Dirty Business”, OMD UK
- Fever-Tree, “Sunday Softs, Served Well”, Craft Media London
- Grey Goose (Bacardi), “Make Time Wait”, OMD UK
- Mira Showers, “Transforming Shower Time into Wellness Time with The Guardian“, iProspect
- Wine Institute, “It’s Always Sunny in California”, Bountiful Cow
Best Content Partnership — over £250k media investment
- Aldi, “Kevin and Katie Get Married: A 24-Carrot Celebration”, Starcom
- Alzheimer’s Society, “When Britain’s Biggest Killer Met Britain’s Biggest Newspaper”, Medialab
- Matalan, “Your Tribe with Mail Metro Media”, Havas Media Network London
- MHR, “The Long Game: Buying Credibility Instead of Reach with The Telegraph“, December19
- Postcode Lottery, “Good Deeds, Great Stories with Metro“, the7stars
- Sky Bet, “All Out”, WPP Media, EssenceMediacom
Best Use of Video, Audio or Social
- Ancestry, “Questions & Ancestors: Turning Questions into Curiosity”, Medialab
- Channel 4, “Dirty Business”, OMD UK
- Channel 4, “Reali-TEA Spilled”, OMD UK
- Grey Goose (Bacardi), “Make Time Wait”, OMD UK
- Sky Bet, “All Out”, WPP Media, EssenceMediacom
Best Contextual Campaign
- Boots, “Moments, Mindsets and Conversations”, WPP Media
- Cadbury Dairy Milk (Mondelez), “Cadbury Dairy Milk — MTS 2.0 2026”, Spark Foundry
- Jaffa Cakes/Pladis, “Jaffa Eclipse”, MG OMD
- Ocado, “Ocado x Guardian Food Quarterly“, Havas Media Network London
- Stellantis, “Leapmotor — T03 Puzzle”, Starcom
Best Tactical Ad
- Boots, “Back of the Neck with The Sun“, WPP Media
- Felix, “Pouncing on News Moments”, OpenMind
- Hargreaves Lansdown, “Helping Britain Invest Through It All”, Hearts United
- Jaffa Cakes/Pladis, “Jaffa Eclipse”, MG OMD
- Mars (Whiskas), “9 out of 10 Cats Love Whiskas”, Starcom
- RSPCA, “Summer of Kindness”, JAA Media
Best Social Impact Campaign
- Alzheimer’s Society, “When Britain’s Biggest Killer Met Britain’s Biggest Newspaper”, Medialab
- Cancer Research UK, “Children’s and Young People’s Cancer x Times Media”, WPP Media
- Channel 4, “Dirty Business”, OMD UK
- Giffgaff, “Giffgaff — B Corp Month x The Guardian partnership”, MG OMD
Most Effective Campaign
- Age UK, “Turning Winter Weather into Warmer Donations”, Medialab
- Aldi, “Christmas 2025”, Starcom
- Alzheimer’s Society, “When Britain’s Biggest Killer Met Britain’s Biggest Newspaper”, Medialab
- MHR, “The Long Game: Buying Credibility Instead of Reach with The Telegraph“, December19
Rising Agency Star of the Year
- Andrew Davies, OMD UK
- Charlie Vincq-Wilkinson, Bountiful Cow
- Fiona Kurti, Spark Foundry
Ad of the Year
- Channel 4, OMD UK
- People’s Pension, Bountiful Cow
- Tesco, EssenceMediacom
- Burger King, TodayTomorrow
- Primark, Starcom
- Woodland Trust, MI Media
- Jaffa Cakes, MG OMD
- Quilter, Bountiful Cow
- Hargreaves Lansdown, Hearts United
- Screwfix, Dentsu X
- Barclays, OMD UK
- Cadbury, Spark Foundry
Advertiser of the Year
- Aldi, “Always Finding Ways to Save, Always Finding Ways to be Brave”, Starcom
- Channel 4, “Making Programmes Part of the National Conversation”, OMD UK
