The New York Festivals Advertising Awards has announced its Industry Awards for the 2026 competition, recognizing agencies, networks, brands, and production companies whose work earned the highest scores from this year’s Executive Jury.
Agency of the Year – HeimatTBWA\ Berlin
HeimatTBWA\ Berlin has been named Agency of the Year. The agency’s work for client HORNBACH earned 2 Grand Towers, 9 Gold Towers, 3 Silver Towers, and 7 Finalist Awards.
“Winning a double Grand Prix besides 9 Golds is a wonderful thing. Being named Agency of the Year is something else entirely. Because it celebrates the people and all their decisions that made our winning work possible,” said Guido Heffels, Chief Creative for HORNBACH, Founder at HEIMAT Berlin.
Agency Network of the Year – VML
VML has been named Agency Network of the Year. The network earned 3 Grand Towers, 8 Gold Towers, 5 Silver Towers, 9 Bronze Towers, and 29 Finalist Awards, with top honors across New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Detroit.
“Being named Agency Network of the Year is an incredible honor and a reflection of what’s possible when world-class talent relentlessly pursues big, human-first ideas. NY Festivals occupies a unique place in our industry, because it holds the work to a New York standard—the place where culture, creativity, and the world’s biggest brands collide. With top honors across New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Detroit, it’s a testament to the talent, craft, and commitment across the VML global creative community,” said Debbi Vandeven, Global Chief Creative Officer at VML.
Brand of the Year – HORNBACH
HORNBACH, one of Germany’s leading DIY chains, has been named Brand of the Year, recognized for its creative campaigns across all media.
Production Company of the Year – Tempomedia Filmproduktion
Tempomedia Filmproduktion has been named Production Company of the Year. The German production company delivered work for HORNBACH, earning 2 Grand Towers, 9 Gold Towers, 3 Silver Towers, and 7 Finalist Awards.
“For us, being recognized with an award like this as a German production is an absolute dream. Projects with this level of ambition and respect for pure craft don’t come along very often, and it’s a privilege to be allowed to execute an idea in such a detailed, hands‑on way. We’re incredibly proud of the trust the agency and client placed in us and grateful for the chance to gather such an outstanding team around this film. It was a hell of a ride but worth every meter and that’s exactly what makes our job worth doing,” said Vera Portz, Executive Producer and Partner at Tempomedia.
2026 LTX Competition – Grabarz & Partner – Almost Human (German Depression Foundation)
Grabarz & Partner has earned top honors in the LTX Competition, receiving a Gold Tower and 60 million LTX credits for their campaign “Almost Human,” created for the German Depression Foundation. The NYF and LTX Studio partnership challenges creative teams to produce a 30-second film for a nonprofit organization using LTX Studio, a platform for agencies, filmmakers, and marketers that enables users to develop characters, design scenes, map story arcs, and build visual worlds within a single integrated environment. All entries were reviewed by the NYF 2026 Executive Jury, led by Andrea Diquez, Global CEO of GUT.
“We are really happy by this recognition; especially because it allows us to continue supporting the German Depression Foundation with the help of the awesome LTX AI capabilities and the prestigious New York Festivals. And thus to keep raising awareness about this complex and insidious illness,” said Ralf Heuel, CCO/Partner/Co-Founder at Grabarz & Partner.
2026 NYF Cristal Village Award – Klick Health – 18 Months (Second Nurture)
The NYF Cristal Village Award, presented in partnership with the African Cristal Festival, has been awarded to Klick Health for the campaign “18 Months,” created for client Second Nurture. The award recognizes work that educates for good, bridges cultures, and inspires meaningful change.
“The Cristal Village Award aims to recognize work which challenges norms, shifts thinking and changes behavior. Our esteemed judges were unanimous that 18 months reimagines the idea of family and is a story of humanity and people bonding for life. A true story speaking to a real need in society,” said Justin Thomas-Copeland, President of the Jury, Cristal Village Award Chair, African Cristal Festival.
The New York Festivals Advertising Awards receives entries from seven continents and is judged by an international jury of more than 350 members across its Executive Jury, Specialty Executive Juries, and Shortlist Jury.
For more information about the 2026 NYF Advertising Awards and to view the 2026 winners’ showcase, go here.
