Jury presidents announced for 2025 AXIS Awards

The 2025 AXIS AWARDS Creative Council has announced this year’s Jury Presidents. Convenor Gary Steele, alongside Jury Directors Bex Kelly and Leisa Wall, points to the wealth of category experience represented across the Jury Presidents, ensuring a judging process that puts the emphasis on category-specific excellence.

The Presidents, and all category judges, have been selected on the basis of long-term track records of creative brilliance with proven expertise in the categories for which they are responsible for judging.

Nine Jury Presidents have been selected, responsible for overseeing judging in the following categories:

–        Craft in Film: Production Jury President | Sharlene George – Sweetshop
–        Craft in Film: Post-Production Jury President | Bex Kelly – Finch
–        Audio Jury President | Peter Vegas – FCB Aotearoa
–        Visual, Design & Art Direction Jury President | Kristal Knight – Ogilvy NZ
–        Digital & Social Media Jury President | Shane Bradnick – TBWA\ New Zealand
–        Print, Out of Home & Copywriting Jury President | Melina Fiolitakis – Motion Sickness
–        Retail, Direct & Integrated Jury President | Rory McKechnie – DDB Aotearoa
–        Film & Branded Content | Brigid Alkema – Clemenger UnLtd
–        Media, PR & For Good Jury President | Jonathan McMahon – Special

Particular focus has been put on the Craft juries, ensuring a greater depth of craft specialists will be casting their professional eye over this year’s entries.

“Our goal is to make AXIS mean more,” said Gary Steele. “The selection of Jury Presidents is the first step towards a refreshed judging process that will ensure that winning an AXIS is a true endorsement of the very best work that Aotearoa has produced in the last 12 months”.

“We look forward to announcing our carefully selected Category Judges shortly which has gone through the same, scrupulous approach to ensure that we select the right judges for each curated panel”.

To find out more, please visit commscouncil.nz/awards/axis

Top row L-R: Sharlene George – Sweetshop; Bex Kelly – Finch; Peter Vegas – FCB Aotearoa
Middle row L-R: Kristal Knight – Ogilvy NZ; Shane Bradnick – TBWA\ New Zealand; Melina Fiolitakis – Motion Sickness
Bottom row L-R: Rory McKechnie – DDB Aotearoa; Brigid Alkema – Clemenger UnLtd; Jonathan McMahon – Special Group