Reflections on the past year at D&AD
Images of D&AD Awards judging by Scott Little
The Packaging Design setup at D&AD Awards judging
Since 1963, the D&AD Annual has been serving up free inspiration and insight to the creative community. Now a fully digital resource, the Annual is accessible to a far broader audience than ever before, ensuring the very best creative work is celebrated by as many people as possible around the world.
Returning as part of the Annual for 2026, the D&AD Trend Report is a vital guide to the winning work from this year’s awards, providing in-depth analysis and commentary from the jury rooms to show what’s rising to the top of the creative industry and why. The report weaves these insights together to paint a picture of wider trends in the industry and culture at large, which show not only which patterns have emerged but also where they could be going.
The Annual also brings together the creative teams behind some of the year’s most memorable projects to discuss the original thinking and craft that went into them, as well as the stories and valuable learnings that came out of them. Finally, we’ve invited significant voices across the creative landscape to unpack the biggest challenges facing the industry and inspire fresh solutions.
Unveiling the Annual provides an opportunity for us to reflect on what has been a significant year for us in other ways. D&AD Shift, our all-important school for creatives, reaches a ten-year milestone, which is explored in more detail below. We welcomed a new CEO, David Patton, who is leading our ongoing mission to celebrate and uphold creativity into a new era. We also launched a new ambassador programme currently comprising 30 creative leaders around the world, who are helping to embed D&AD more deeply within local creative industries and connect talent with our global network, programmes and standards.
A glimpse behind the scenes at D&AD judging in May
The 2026 D&AD Awards in Numbers
Drawing entries from 89 countries, the highest in the awards' history, 573 Pencils were awarded across 46 categories, from over 50,000 pieces of work submitted for consideration.
Out of these, 557 made it to the shortlist. We awarded 573 Pencils, including 4 Black Pencils this year. The work was judged in-person at London’s Southbank Centre by over 300 judges from 47 countries.
Overall Total – 573 Pencils
- Black – 4 Pencils awarded
- Yellow – 52 Pencils awarded
- Graphite – 149 Pencils awarded
- Wood – 368 Pencils awarded
- Future Impact – two Pencils
- White – two Pencils
The Culture discipline saw the strongest entry growth of any discipline in 2026, with entries up 49% year on year. Three categories, Sport Entertainment, Cultural Influence and Brand Transformation, made their D&AD Awards debut this year, awarding 10, eight and nine Pencils respectively.
Mary Lewis, founding partner and creative director at Lewis Moberly, in conversation with Lisa Smith, global chief design officer at Uncommon
Designer Stefan Sagmeister at D&AD Festival
D&AD Festival
This year’s D&AD Festival returned to London’s Southbank Centre from 19–20 May 2026, where more than 100 speakers and 2,000 visitors came through the doors over the two-day event.
Among the many creative leaders who took to the stage were designer Stefan Sagmeister; Chaka Sobhani, global CCO at TBWA; David Lee, Squarespace’s CCO; Alex Center, the founder and creative director of Center; Court Williams, VP of strategy at De-Yan; and many more. We also welcomed Mary Lewis, founding partner and creative director at Lewis Moberly, who was the first woman to become D&AD President, and Lisa Smith, global chief design officer at Uncommon, who is our President for 2026. The Festival also delivered jury insights panels featuring creative leaders and practitioners, who shared their perspectives on the work they encountered in the Awards and the biggest themes defining the creative industry right now.
At the Festival, our keynotes and jury insights panels were topped off with activations, networking opportunities, parties and previews of the shortlisted work, with the celebrations culminating in the D&AD Awards Ceremony in September.
You can look back at festival talks and jury insight sessions via D&AD’s Instagram and YouTube channels.
D&AD Foundation
As a charity, D&AD supports the creative industry by funding educational programmes such as D&AD Shift and other resources that nurture the next generation of talent. This has been part of D&AD’s purpose for over 40 years and this year has continued to sit at the heart of what we do.
Shift London graduates, shot in London by Rhys Williams
Shift New York graduates, shot in NYC by Javier Duah
D&AD Shift
This year marks the 10th anniversary of D&AD Shift – our completely free night school supporting creative self-starters without arts degrees to break into the industry. With the help of brilliant partners and volunteers who donate their time to support this vital initiative, we’re proud to have played a part in launching hundreds of careers in six different cities: London, New York, Sydney, Berlin, Hamburg and São Paulo.
This milestone isn’t just about looking back but facing forward too. Our newly launched Shift Edition provides a new home for the stories, work and impact of the global Shift community, brought together for the very first time. Serving up videos, interviews and portfolios, the platform introduces the creatives who have kickstarted their careers as award-winning designers, art directors and more with Shift.
Celebrations at D&AD New Blood Awards 2026
D&AD New Blood Festival
New Blood Awards
Every year, D&AD’s New Blood Awards invites students, recent graduates and emerging creatives around the world to tackle real briefs set by real brands – all judged by experienced leaders from top agencies and studios. Why? So that new voices can get exposure to how problem-solving really works in the creative industry, make connections with potential employers, and put their name out there.
This year, fresh talent in advertising, design, digital and marketing got their teeth into briefs set by brands including Penguin Random House, Nothing, L'Oréal, Duolingo, Canal+ and many more. More than 7,000 people from 78 countries entered New Blood Awards, the winners of which were showcased at New Blood Festival in the summer.
D&AD Learning
The opportunity for learning is never over. D&AD Masterclasses support upskilling and continual learning for creatives at any career level, whether through ready-made short courses or custom programmes tailored to individual teams and their specific needs. Learning at D&AD is designed to steer people through challenges and help them achieve their full potential, with expert-led sessions on everything from mastering presentation and management skills to understanding how AI fits into creative practice.