South Korea’s MAD STARS has named 42 Final Jurors drawn from 28 locations for its 2026 awards, as part of a global judging body of more than 350 industry professionals from 83 locations.
The jurors are organized into five specialized panels — Traditional, Experience, Entertainment, Strategy, and Digital — each aligned with a specific cluster of the festival’s 25 Stars. The final-stage judging process is led by five Executive Jury members.
For 2026, MAD STARS has reorganized its entry categories around two groups. The Solution Group covers campaigns that combine strategy and execution to address business and communication challenges. The Positive Impact Group recognizes creative work that generates change across society, with entries evaluated against values including sustainability, diversity, health, and public responsibility.
All entries first undergo online preliminary judging, with selected works advancing to the first round of final judging, also conducted online. The second and last rounds of final judging take place in person in Busan, where the Executive Jury and Final Jury determine winners through discussion and voting. Winners will be announced at the awards show on August 28.
The Grand Prix of the Year, the festival’s highest honor, is awarded to two entries: one from among the Grand Prix winners of the Solution Group, and one from the Positive Impact Group.
About the Final Jury
The Final Jury is organized into five specialized panels, each aligned with a specific cluster of Stars within the awards.
Group 1. Traditional (Film, Outdoor, Print, Radio & Audio)
Traditional covers work created for established media channels, highlighting the craft, storytelling, and creative execution that form the foundation of advertising communication.
- Sandipan Bhattacharyya (Executive Jury), Chief Creative Officer, Monks
- Kanit Mingmuang, Executive Creative Director, Wolf BKK
- Mukund Olety, Chief Creative Officer, VML
- Noël Bunting, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis London
- Paulo Mariano, Senior Art Director, O Escritório
- Rick Kwan, Executive Creative Director, Grey Hong Kong
- Rory McKechnie, Executive Creative Director, McCann New Zealand
- Shumpei Murata, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc.
- Sunghyuk Hong, Executive Creative Director, Innocean
Group 2. Experience (Brand Experience & Activation, Direct, Commerce, PR, Health)
Experience focuses on work that builds meaningful relationships between brands and audiences through participation, engagement, real-world experience, and measurable response.
- Raja Rajamannar (Executive Jury), Senior Fellow, Former Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Mastercard
- Federico Fanti, Regional Chief Creative Officer – MENAT, FP7 McCANN
- Ilya Andreyev, Executive Creative Director, Cheil CIS
- Karan Novas, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Tulom
- Mark Verhagen, Executive Creative Director, VML Brisbane & Perth
- Roman Carlo Olivarez, Executive Creative Director, TREYNA Group Philippines
- Satoshi Chikayama, Executive Creative Director, HAKUHODO
- Wendy Chan, Creative Partner, EXE Group
- WonSook Kang, Group Creative Director, HSAD
Group 3. Entertainment (Branded Entertainment, Entertainment for Music, Entertainment for Game, Entertainment for Sports, Design, Diverse Insights)
Entertainment recognizes content-led creative work that connects with audiences through entertainment, culture, music, games, sports, design, and shared experiences.
- Anny Havercroft (Executive Jury), Global Head of Product MarComs, TikTok
- Alex Pineda, Chief Creative Officer, Horizon FCB Dubai
- Diego Medvedocky, Global Creative Partner, GREY
- Michael Ahmadzadeh, Co-Founder, electriclimeº
- Mo Chen, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\China
- Shane Geffen, National Executive Creative Director, HERO McCann
- Yeong Eun Kook, Creative Director, DAEHONG
Group 4. Strategy (Strategy, Integrated, Media, Data Insights, SDGs, Place Brand)
Strategy evaluates work driven by strategic thinking, media planning, data insights, and integrated execution, including campaigns that create business, social, or place-brand value.
- Tara McKenty (Executive Jury), Chief Creative Officer, AKQA Australia & New Zealand
- Babak Madandar, Chief Executive Officer, BOOM Marcom
- Chow Kok Keong, Creative Partner, k2x
- Enkhbayasgalan Tungalag, Chief Executive Officer, KMG Group
- Lissette Guzman, Chief Creative Officer, McCann Santo Domingo
- Martin Tsai, Business & Creative Partner, SAATCHI & SAATCHI Taiwan
- Mohammad Akrum Hossain, Chief Creative Officer, POP5
- Sulin Lau, Regional Head of Marketing, Brand and Creative, Grab
- Takahiro Hosoda, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\HAKUHODO
Group 5. Digital (Mobile, Interactive, Social & Influencer, Innovation)
Digital covers work shaped by digital environments, including mobile, social, interactive, influencer-led, and technology-driven ideas that create new forms of audience experience.
- Aurora Straton (Executive Jury), Creative Lead, Google
- Chandu Rajapreyar, Group Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo International Vietnam
- Fabio Seidl, Global Head of Creative and Brand, X (Twitter & X AI)
- Hyounwoo Nam, Executive Creative Director, TBWA KOREA
- Kazuki Tsuburaku, Managing Director & Executive Creative Partner, Dentsu Digital
- Nikki Sunga, Group Creative Director, BBDO Guerrero
- Nkanyezi Masango, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy South Africa
- Titipun Tubthong, Head of Creative, Brilliant & Million
MAD STARS 2026 is open for entries across two groups: 25 Stars, and 442 categories. The entry deadline is June 15. The festival runs August 26 to 28 at Signiel Busan and across the Haeundae area, under the theme “Amplify.”
Full jury biographies are available on the Final Jury page of the official MAD STARS 2026 website.
