Read
Why enter D&AD Awards?
For 57 years D&AD has stimulated and celebrated creative excellence in commercial creativity, annually inviting 250 of the world’s greatest creative practitioners to judge the year’s finest work.
Symbolising all this is the iconic D&AD Pencil.
Learn more about why to enter and what previous winners have said about winning at D&AD Awards.
98%
'It was good for my career.'
71%
'We won new business as a direct result.'
87%
'It helped us attract new talent.'
85%
'We had opportunities we might not have had.'
What happens when your work wins a Pencil?
It's featured in the D&AD Annual: a bible of inspiring projects from around the globe for anyone who is part of the design and advertising industry.
It's exhibited or screened at the D&AD Festival in London, in front of 14,000 Festival goers. Additionally, it's exhibited around the world at one of D&AD's international exhibitions. Past venues include The Advertising Museum Tokyo, Louvre Museum Paris, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Design Institute, Arts Centre Melbourne.
It's celebrated at the D&AD Awards Ceremony on 21 May 2020, in front of the finest minds in the industry.
It earns you and your company global media coverage, prestige amongst your peers and points towards D&AD rankings.
Each year, thousands of creative agencies, design studios, and brands from all around the world compete to win at D&AD, here are but a few:
Why it matters most
Hear from leading creatives, first hand. When it comes to winning an award, nothing matters more than a D&AD Pencil.
-
Dick Powell, Founder & Chairman, Seymourpowell
"There’s more to the Pencil than just being hard to win; it's about the creatives who enter the awards, the judges, the agencies, the educators, and the contributors. All of which gives the Yellow Pencil its legendary status."
-
Rosie Arnold, Consultant in Advertising and Leadership
"Pencils encourage great brave work, they reward passionate talented individuals, they become a measure for judging individuals or companies, they are a record of that year's successes and endeavours."
-
Anna Sundbom, Head of PR & Marketing, B-Reel Films
"It's like winning the Oscars, I think it opens up doors that wouldn't have been opened if it weren't for being awarded the Pencil. It inspires creativity and inspires people to do the best that they can do."
-
Nils Leonard, Founder, Uncommon London
"If any awards organisation interrogates familiarity more thoroughly than D&AD I have yet to judge it. It's why, in a cluttered world, D&AD is still the one worth winning."
The value and importance of D&AD Awards
-
-
Watch
Why winning a D&AD Pencil matters
-
Read
The future of creativity is collaborative
-
Watch
The importance of creative collaborations
-
Read
Awards - why does it all matter?
-
Read
Awards are validation in the clamour of noise
-
Read
The value of a D&AD Pencil
-
Read
Clients will always care for work that connects with people and wins awards
D&AD is a not-for-profit
We put the money we make back into the industry we serve, mainly through D&AD New Blood - helping new talent prosper, promoting diversity, and working towards a fairer, more sustainable future for the industry. In 2019, we invested £6.5 million in charitable activities and provided 176,553 vocational learning opportunities to emerging creatives.
So, enter not just for the glory, but to contribute to our mission to make the creative world stronger, fairer, and more open for everyone.
Insights on the D&AD Awards judging process
Learn more about D&AD Awards
Since 1962, D&AD has been inspiring a community of creative thinkers by celebrating and stimulating the finest in design and advertising. The D&AD Awards are recognised globally as the ultimate creative accolade, entered and attended by the best from around the world.
For inspiration and the chance to get up close and personal with the world’s best design and advertising, join us at the D&AD Awards Ceremony.