14 entries from New Zealand make the cut at the first shortlist stage of 2025 D&AD Awards
The 63rd annual D&AD Awards, with its Ceremony due to take place this Thursday (22 May) in London, has announced the first shortlist from the following categories: Book Design, Brand Identity Refresh, Casting, Commerce, Digital Design, Digital Marketing, Direct, Editing, Entertainment, Experiential, Illustration, Music Videos, New Brand Identity, Packaging Design, PR, Radio & Audio, Type Design & Lettering, Typography, Visual Effects, Writing for Advertising, Writing for Design.
14 entries from New Zealand have made the cut as the first shortlists for D&AD are announced. In New Zealand, Colenso BBDO leads the way with four shortlists, followed by Motion Sickness / FINCH with three shortlists.
Entrants with two shortlists include DDB Group Aotearoa and Special Aotearoa and Boxcutter, whilst The Tuesday Club / Assembly has one shortlist.
Reflecting on the volume of submissions received this year, D&AD President for 2025 Kwame Taylor-Hayford comments: “The 2025 Awards saw our broadest participation yet, with submissions from 86 countries around the world. It’s also been our strongest year ever in terms of company participation—an encouraging sign that groundbreaking creativity and a deep commitment to craft continue to thrive across the globe.”
Commenting on this year’s judges, D&AD CEO Dara Lynch said: “Our real superpower rests with our judges and community, who ensure the Pencil retains its place in history as the one to win; driving the industry forward and setting new standards for creative excellence in an industry that’s going through transformation.”
Globally respected and famously hard to win, the D&AD Awards celebrate creative excellence, believing creativity is critical to commercial, economic, social and cultural success.
The non-profit organisation goes to great lengths to ensure a rigorous judging process, focused on integrity, with industry leaders selecting only the most exceptional creative work. Their focus on creativity, originality, and effectiveness ensures that winning entries represent the pinnacle of excellence in advertising and design.
The Awards incorporates more than 44 categories judged by 330 of the world’s leading creatives from over 86 countries (52% female-identifying), recognising work that will inspire both seasoned and emerging talent. As a charity, awards entries enable D&AD to fund educational programs such as D&AD Shift, a free, industry-led night school for self-taught creatives from under-represented backgrounds, currently running in London, New York, Berlin, Hamburg, São Paulo and Sydney, with more locations to be announced.
A new Creator Content category reflects the evolving landscape of the creative industries and allows the international awards to stay current and inclusive, while the division of the branding category into two distinct categories: New Brand Identity and Brand Identity Refresh addresses the significant volume of entries received in previous years), ensuring each submission receives the focused attention it deserves by the jury.
The total number of entries shortlisted in each category announced so far are:
Book Design (25)
Brand Identity Refresh (24)
Casting (30)
Commerce (32)
Digital Design (19)
Digital Marketing (63)
Direct (36)
Editing (13)
Entertainment (43)
Experiential (49)
Illustration (42)
Music Videos (42)
New Brand Identity (31)
Packaging Design (29)
PR (38)
Radio & Audio (13)
Type Design & Lettering (30)
Typography (39)
Visual Effects (24)
Writing for Advertising (24)
Writing for Design (20)
While the anticipation builds for the final winners to be revealed, the judges remain impressed by the calibre of entries and the transformative impact they promise to have on the creative landscape.
The highlight of the week will be the eagerly anticipated Awards Ceremony this Thursday 22 May, which wraps up the two-day D&AD Festival at Southbank Centre, London, where the winners of this year’s competition will be unveiled. Be sure to secure your tickets to attend the Awards Announcement and witness the celebration of creativity at its finest. Tickets are available for purchase here.
D&AD acknowledges its 2025 category partners:
Illustration, sponsored by Procreate
Digital Marketing, sponsored by Verizon
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