July 8, 2026
Shortlist Reflects Strong Brand and Media Owner Partnerships Across All Budgets
The World Media Group unveiled the shortlist for the 2026 World Media Awards today, celebrating excellence in international content marketing and cross-border advertising. Now celebrating 11 years, the World Media Awards continues to draw high-calibre submissions from all over the world with entries from across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US.
The 2026 shortlist reflects continued growth in strategic content collaborations, with a notable rise in Brand and Media Owner Partnership entries this year. The increase suggests that brands are tapping into the strong editorial and subject matter expertise that trusted media brands are known for, adding credibility and depth to the storytelling. This holds true across all budgets, with entries split between campaigns of under €1m and over €1m.
The independent jury, comprising senior leaders from brands, agencies and media owners, is now tasked with selecting the winners for each category. This year’s co-chairs are Georgina Benjamin, Head, CIB Marketing (Europe) at Standard Chartered, and Adam Nunn, Business Operations Director, EMEA at Omnicom Media.
Nunn commented: “Thank you to everyone who submitted entries. The standard across every category I’ve had the pleasure of judging has been very high, making the judging genuinely difficult. It just goes to show that creativity and great content are alive and well within the industry.
“The quality of entries also shows how incredibly important it is to ensure that a brand’s message is fully communicated and understood, even more so in a world under pressure from misinformation. I look forward to debating the merits of the shortlist with the wider judging panel and hope I won’t be called on to break the deadlock too frequently!”
Benjamin added: “What struck me most this year was that the standout campaigns weren’t necessarily those with the biggest budgets, but those with the clearest strategic thinking and boldest creative ambition. It was encouraging to see brands embracing media partnerships in new and unexpected ways, often for the first time, and achieving impressive results through collaboration.
“Judging the entries was genuinely inspiring and, in many cases, educational, with several campaigns challenging my own thinking and reinforcing marketing’s role as a powerful driver of commercial success. I’m looking forward to debating the shortlisted work, hearing different perspectives and celebrating the campaigns that truly set the benchmark for excellence.”
World Media Awards Ceremony
Winners will be announced at a live ceremony, supported by Brand Metrics, at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on Thursday 24th September 2026, where the coveted Grand Prix Award will also be presented. You can buy tickets to attend the ceremony here.
Previous winners of the top prize include Cartier, Cymru Wales, Infosys, Johnnie Walker, Malaria No More, Shell and Tata Motors.
Winners Perks
In addition to global recognition and a trophy, winners receive a unique prize – an exclusive international media campaign worth €750k+, run across the World Media Group’s prestigious media brands: The Atlantic, BBC News, Business Insider, CNBC, CNN International, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Reuters, The New York Times, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
The 2026 shortlist is as follows:
Corporate Influencer
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Afreximbank – Afreximbank: Impact Stories | CNN |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Republic of Poland – Poland: Your Place to Grow | BBC StoryWorks |
| KPMG – AI Frontiers | Reuters |
| TotalEnergies – The Roads to Carbon Neutral | CNBC |
| Siemens Energy – Unlocking the Grid – Siemens Energy x New York Times Advertising | New York Times Advertising |
Financial Services
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
|---|---|
| UBS – The Craft of Sport – UBS & New York Times Advertising | New York Times Advertising |
| UBS – Crafting Capital | The Trust, Wall Street Journal |
| Julius Baer – Make the Most of Tomorrow: Redefining the Meaning of Wealth | Financial Times |
| UBS – The Craft Mindset | CNBC |
| Lombard Odier – rethink stability. | Banque Lombard Odier & Cie SA |
Tech & Telecoms
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Deutsche Telekom – OWN YOUR WORLD | Mindshare/ /WPP Media |
| Samsung – Samsung’s Journey to AI Brand Visibility | Starcom Worldwide |
| IDA Ireland – Supercharged Ireland | Reuters |
| NTT Holdings – Human Centred Innovation | The Trust, Wall Street Journal |
| Infosys – Enterprise AI in Action | Economist Enterprise |
Travel & Tourism
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Visit Britain – Starring GREAT Britain | OMD Germany |
| Destination Canada – Life in Canada is… | National Geographic/The Walt Disney Company Ltd. |
| Türkiye Tourism – Detour Türkiye | BBC StoryWorks |
| Seoul Tourism – Absolutely in SEOUL | CNBC |
| Visit Saudi – Visit Saudi/Bloomberg: Living Tradition | Bloomberg |
Luxury & Lifestyle
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Philips OneBlade – Body Royale | OMD EMEA |
| Belmond – Life on a Train – Belmond & New York Times Advertising | New York Times Advertising |
| The House of Suntory – Hibiki Whisky – 24 Moments of Harmony | Starcom Worldwide |
| Ferragamo – How to Ski Italian Style with Alberto Tomba | CNBC |
| Prada – SEA BEYOND: Future Stewards of Our Ocean | National Geographic/The Walt Disney Company Ltd. |
Specialist Categories:
Brand & Media Owner Partnership > €1M
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Bupa – Bupa: Living without Limits | National Geographic/The Walt Disney Company Ltd. |
| L’Oréal Groupe – Meeting the Moment – L’Oréal Groupe & New York Times Advertising | New York Times Advertising |
| Shell – Shell x Havas Partner of Choice Global Content Partnership | Shell x Havas Media Network |
| Kraken – Empowering Energy Consumers | Economist Enterprise |
| EY – Before You Shape the Future | Bloomberg Media |
Brand & Media Owner Partnership < €1M
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| The House of Suntory – Hibiki Whiskey – 24 Moments of Harmony | Business Insider |
| IDA Ireland – Supercharged Ireland | IDA Ireland |
| Equinor – People Power: Humanising the Energy Transition | Financial Times |
| Brand Scotland – Where Innovation Thrives | BBC StoryWorks |
| EY – Shape the Future with Confidence | Economist Enterprise |
Small Budget, Great Impact
| Name | Company |
| Ferragamo – How to Ski Italian Style with Alberto Tomba | CNBC |
| Scottish Development International – Think Capital Investment. Think Scotland. | Reuters |
| ViiV Healthcare – Making HIV History: Reaching an HIV-free Generation | CNN |
| McDonald’s – Local Leaders, Global Impact | Forbes |
| Silk Road Run: Samarkand Marathon– The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation | BBC StoryWorks |
Social Good
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Cargill – The Resilient Food Systems Index | Economist Enterprise |
| European Commission – Vox Media x ICF Next | Global Gateway | Vox Media |
| Reuters – Pure News, Straight from the Source | Reuters |
| ViiV Healthcare – Making HIV History: Reaching an HIV-free Generation | CNN |
| Iberdrola – Staying Power | Fortune |
Branded Event
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| LEGO – LEGO ® SMART Play – OOH That Plays Back | Starcom Worldwide |
| The Wall Street Journal – Journal House by The Wall Street Journal | The Wall Street Journal |
| Reuters NEXT – Reuters NEXT | Reuters |
| Singapore Economic Development Board – CONVERGE LIVE | CNBC |
| Hitachi – Powering the age of electricity: energy security, AI and the future grid | Economist Enterprise |
For full details of shortlisted entries go to https://world-media-group.com/awards/2026-shortlist/
About The World Media Group
The World Media Group is a strategic alliance of leading international media organisations that connects brands with highly engaged, influential audiences in the context of trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include BBC News, Business Insider, CNBC, CNN International, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, The New York Times Company, Reuters, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, associate member The Atlantic, and partners Avid Brand Metrics, Dianomi.