Spikes Asia announces its 2026 winners
Uzbekistan celebrates first-ever wins Surge in work from brands and data-driven creativity gains momentum Rise in independent agencies seeing success at Spikes Asia
12 March 2026 - Spikes Asia, APAC’s most prestigious and sought-after Award for creativity and marketing effectiveness, has revealed its 2026 winners this evening at its annual Awards Gala in Singapore.
In a historic first Uzbekistan was awarded two Spikes taking home Silver and Gold in Film Craft for ‘The Weight of Pain’, for the National Agency for Social Protection. This landmark achievement marks a significant milestone for the country, spotlighting the growing creative prowess emerging from Central Asia.
Trends this year include a 44% growth in independent agencies being awarded, including a Gold Film Spike for first time entrant Fundamental Mumbai - for their work ‘WhatsApp – Baatan Hi Baatan Mein (Love in a few words)’. Strong participation from independent agencies also led to a 34% rise in entries for the Creative Effectiveness Spikes.
Another notable shift shows the growing presence of brands submitting work, rising 18% year on year. The growth reflects a broader industry shift towards campaigns that not only inspire but also deliver demonstrable business outcomes. This trend was particularly evident in the new Creative B2B Spike, where 46% of all entries came from brands themselves.
Creative Data recorded strong growth this year, increasing 36%, while Design entries continued their steady climb with a 6% increase, underscoring the region’s commitment to craft-led creativity that resonates culturally and commercially.
Speaking about the winners, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “Spikes Asia continues to spotlight the exceptional creativity emerging from APAC, and this year’s winners demonstrate the power of ideas that are both culturally resonant and commercially effective. We’re seeing a clear evolution in the work - brands are stepping forward as creative partners, while agencies and independents are increasingly focused on measurable impact. Together, they are raising the bar for what creativity can achieve for businesses and society.”
Melanie Speet, Director, Spikes Asia, added: “The growth we’re seeing in areas like Creative Data and Creative Effectiveness shows how the region is embracing creativity that is not only bold, but also accountable. At the same time, the rise in brand participation and continued strength in Design reflects an industry that is expanding who creates great work and how that work drives real results. This year’s winners represent the very best of that evolution.”
This year’s Grand Prix winners are:
Audio & Radio
From 65 entries received, 6 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Delivereasy Killer Bees’, ‘Delivereasy Crippled Pigeons’, ‘Delivereasy Street Condoms’, for Delivereasy, by Colenso BBDO, Auckland
Brand Experience & Activation
From 291 entries received, 24 Spikes were awarded: 4 Gold, 6 Silver, 13 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Darescore’, for Mountain Dew, by Leo, Mumbai
Creative B2B
From 46 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'Soil Stay’, for TRA Mongkut Fertilizer, by VML, Bangkok
Creative Commerce
From 49 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Creative Data
From 49 entries received, 5 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'Saltanat Light’, for CITIX, by GForce, Almaty
Creative Effectiveness
From 43 entries received, 5 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'No Smiles’, for McDonald’s, by TBWA\HAKUHODO, Tokyo
Creative Strategy
From 110 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Missing Verse: Completing the Bento Symphony’, for Zespri International Japan, by DENTSU INC., Tokyo
Design
From 109 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Best After 2025’, for Takamatsu City, by Shiseido Creative, Tokyo
Digital Craft
From 38 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'Haven’, for Suncorp Insurance, by Leo, Sydney
Direct
From 124 entries received, 11 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Acko Tailor’, for Acko General Insurance Limited, by Leo, Mumbai
Entertainment
From 83 entries received, 7 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Ad that can only be seen on SBS’, for Special Broadcasting Service, by Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, Sydney
Film
From 192 entries received, 15 Spikes were awarded: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 6 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Dare to Step’, for Gambol, by YDM Thailand, Bangkok
Film Craft
From 164 entries received, 15 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘It’s better with Spark’, for Spark New Zealand, by Sweetshop / Colenso BBDO, Auckland
Gaming
From 35 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'One Noodle’, for Haraku Ramen, by BLKJ HAVAS, Singapore
Glass: The Award for Change
From 18 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 2 Glass Spikes and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Project Early Periods’, for Whisper, by Leo, Mumbai
Grand Prix for Good
The Grand Prix for Good was awarded to ‘The Māori Roll Call’, for Whānau Ora, by Motion Sickness, Auckland
Healthcare
From 94 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Industry Craft
From 63 entries received, 6 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'Craftman.Ships’, for Ships, by HAKUHODO Gravity / HAKUHODO Cabin, Tokyo
Innovation
From 29 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Smart Eye Camera’, for OUI Inc, by TBWA\HAKUHODO / OUI, Tokyo
Integrated
From 25 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver and the Grand Prix that went to 'Kung Fries’, for McDonald’s Prospect Hospitality, by Leo Taiwan, Taipei
Media
From 157 entries received, 1 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Sponsored Truth’, for Samsung, by Leo, Kuala Lumpur
Music
From 37 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Project: Memory Card’, for PlayStation, by SIX INC / HAKUHODO, Tokyo
Outdoor
From 181 entries received, 14 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Commuter Camo’, for KitKat, by VML, Sydney
PR
From 114 entries received, 9 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Print & Publishing
From 29 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Inglish Dictionary’, for Air India Express, by Juice, Gurgaon
Social & Creator
From 131 entries received, 12 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 6 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
This year's Special Awards winners are:
In a historic first Uzbekistan was awarded two Spikes taking home Silver and Gold in Film Craft for ‘The Weight of Pain’, for the National Agency for Social Protection. This landmark achievement marks a significant milestone for the country, spotlighting the growing creative prowess emerging from Central Asia.
Trends this year include a 44% growth in independent agencies being awarded, including a Gold Film Spike for first time entrant Fundamental Mumbai - for their work ‘WhatsApp – Baatan Hi Baatan Mein (Love in a few words)’. Strong participation from independent agencies also led to a 34% rise in entries for the Creative Effectiveness Spikes.
Another notable shift shows the growing presence of brands submitting work, rising 18% year on year. The growth reflects a broader industry shift towards campaigns that not only inspire but also deliver demonstrable business outcomes. This trend was particularly evident in the new Creative B2B Spike, where 46% of all entries came from brands themselves.
Creative Data recorded strong growth this year, increasing 36%, while Design entries continued their steady climb with a 6% increase, underscoring the region’s commitment to craft-led creativity that resonates culturally and commercially.
Speaking about the winners, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “Spikes Asia continues to spotlight the exceptional creativity emerging from APAC, and this year’s winners demonstrate the power of ideas that are both culturally resonant and commercially effective. We’re seeing a clear evolution in the work - brands are stepping forward as creative partners, while agencies and independents are increasingly focused on measurable impact. Together, they are raising the bar for what creativity can achieve for businesses and society.”
Melanie Speet, Director, Spikes Asia, added: “The growth we’re seeing in areas like Creative Data and Creative Effectiveness shows how the region is embracing creativity that is not only bold, but also accountable. At the same time, the rise in brand participation and continued strength in Design reflects an industry that is expanding who creates great work and how that work drives real results. This year’s winners represent the very best of that evolution.”
This year’s Grand Prix winners are:
Audio & Radio
From 65 entries received, 6 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Delivereasy Killer Bees’, ‘Delivereasy Crippled Pigeons’, ‘Delivereasy Street Condoms’, for Delivereasy, by Colenso BBDO, Auckland
Brand Experience & Activation
From 291 entries received, 24 Spikes were awarded: 4 Gold, 6 Silver, 13 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Darescore’, for Mountain Dew, by Leo, Mumbai
Creative B2B
From 46 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'Soil Stay’, for TRA Mongkut Fertilizer, by VML, Bangkok
Creative Commerce
From 49 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Creative Data
From 49 entries received, 5 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'Saltanat Light’, for CITIX, by GForce, Almaty
Creative Effectiveness
From 43 entries received, 5 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'No Smiles’, for McDonald’s, by TBWA\HAKUHODO, Tokyo
Creative Strategy
From 110 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Missing Verse: Completing the Bento Symphony’, for Zespri International Japan, by DENTSU INC., Tokyo
Design
From 109 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Best After 2025’, for Takamatsu City, by Shiseido Creative, Tokyo
Digital Craft
From 38 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'Haven’, for Suncorp Insurance, by Leo, Sydney
Direct
From 124 entries received, 11 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Acko Tailor’, for Acko General Insurance Limited, by Leo, Mumbai
Entertainment
From 83 entries received, 7 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Ad that can only be seen on SBS’, for Special Broadcasting Service, by Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, Sydney
Film
From 192 entries received, 15 Spikes were awarded: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 6 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Dare to Step’, for Gambol, by YDM Thailand, Bangkok
Film Craft
From 164 entries received, 15 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘It’s better with Spark’, for Spark New Zealand, by Sweetshop / Colenso BBDO, Auckland
Gaming
From 35 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'One Noodle’, for Haraku Ramen, by BLKJ HAVAS, Singapore
Glass: The Award for Change
From 18 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 2 Glass Spikes and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Project Early Periods’, for Whisper, by Leo, Mumbai
Grand Prix for Good
The Grand Prix for Good was awarded to ‘The Māori Roll Call’, for Whānau Ora, by Motion Sickness, Auckland
Healthcare
From 94 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Industry Craft
From 63 entries received, 6 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to 'Craftman.Ships’, for Ships, by HAKUHODO Gravity / HAKUHODO Cabin, Tokyo
Innovation
From 29 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Smart Eye Camera’, for OUI Inc, by TBWA\HAKUHODO / OUI, Tokyo
Integrated
From 25 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver and the Grand Prix that went to 'Kung Fries’, for McDonald’s Prospect Hospitality, by Leo Taiwan, Taipei
Media
From 157 entries received, 1 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Sponsored Truth’, for Samsung, by Leo, Kuala Lumpur
Music
From 37 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Project: Memory Card’, for PlayStation, by SIX INC / HAKUHODO, Tokyo
Outdoor
From 181 entries received, 14 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Commuter Camo’, for KitKat, by VML, Sydney
PR
From 114 entries received, 9 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Print & Publishing
From 29 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Inglish Dictionary’, for Air India Express, by Juice, Gurgaon
Social & Creator
From 131 entries received, 12 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 6 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
This year's Special Awards winners are:
- Leo, Mumbai
- Ogilvy, Singapore
- TBWA\HAKUHODO, Tokyo
Independent Agency of the Year
- Motion Sickness, Auckland
- Supermassive, Sydney
- Howatson+Company, Sydney
Network of the Year
- Leo
- Ogilvy
- HAKUHODO
Media Network of the Year
- Starcom
- Mindshare
- Wavemaker
Spikes Palm
- Suneta House, Thailand
- The Sweetshop, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Studio Eeksaurus, India
Strategy & Effectiveness Agency of the Year
- TBWA\HAKUHODO, Tokyo
- DENTSU INC., Tokyo
- Motion Sickness, Auckland
Agency of the Year by Market
- Australia | VML, Sydney
- Hong Kong SAR | Leo Hong Kong
- India | Leo, Mumbai
- Indonesia | TU7UH Creative Lab, Jakarta
- Japan | TBWA\HAKUHODO, Tokyo
- Malaysia | Leo, Kuala Lumpur
- Aotearoa New Zealand | Colenso BBDO, Auckland
- Singapore | Ogilvy
- South Korea | Dminusone, Seoul
- Taiwan | Leo Taiwan, Taipei
- Thailand | VML, Bangkok
This year’s Young Spikes Competition winners are:
Digital
Gold
Thanks For The Buffet!
Nuraisy Romi, Junior Art Director, Ogilvy Singapore
Kien (Trung) Nguyen, Junior Copywriter, Ogilvy Singapore
Silver
THE DISHCOUNT
Deborah YogiArt Director, Publicis Groupe Japan - Beacon Communications K.K.
Hikari Mino, Creative Copywriter, Publicis Groupe Japan - Beacon Communications K.K.
Bronze
Grab the Hidden Price
Seunghyun Kim, Art Director, Daehong, South Korea
Seojin Chang, Copywriter, Daehong, South Korea
Integrated
Gold
MOAUCTION
Yasuko Kawaguchi, Copywriter/Planner, Hakuhodo Creative Vox, Japan
Yijia Wang, Copywriter/Planner, Hakuhodo, Japan~
Silver
#BEERforMOUSTACHE
Tomoaki Uchiyama, Copywriter, Happy Hours Hakuhodo, Japan Yusuke Wakata, Art Director, Hakuhodo, Japan
Bronze
Awkward Mo-ment
Cheng Chung Ue, Senior Art Director, de goose, Hong Kong
Tsz Yin ChengSenior Copywriter, de goose, Hong Kong
The Spikes Asia Creativity Report and the full rankings will be released on Monday 30 March. The Creativity Report, which shines a light on the best creativity across APAC, as selected by Spikes Asia Juries, features exclusive insights from the Jury room and trends and themes that have emerged from the 2026 Awards.
All results can be found on The Work.
ENDS
Assets:
You can download assets to use in your reporting here.
Contacts:
Camilla Lambert
PR Director
LIONS
Camillal@canneslions.com
Tash Naidoo
Senior PR Manager
LIONS
Tashn@canneslions.com
Press Portal:
press.canneslions.com
Awards queries:
awards@spikes.asia
Notes to editors
About Spikes Asia
Spikes Asia, the home of Asia-Pacific creativity, is the region’s oldest and most prestigious awards for creative advertising. Building on over 35 years of the illustrious Spikes Awards and Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Spikes Asia is the result of a collaboration between LIONS, part of Informa PLC, organisers of Cannes Lions, and Haymarket, publisher of Campaign Asia-Pacific.
Spikes Asia celebrates creative excellence in the Asia-Pacific region alongside learning and networking opportunities. The Awards serve as the definitive benchmark for creative excellence, marketing strategy and effectiveness in Asia-Pacific.
www.spikes.asia
About Haymarket
Haymarket Media Group creates award-winning specialist content and information for international audiences. The company has more than 70 market-leading brands created by world-class experts in locations in the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Germany. Haymarket’s consumer and professional brands connect people and communities across digital, mobile, print and live/virtual media platforms. Although Haymarket’s portfolio is diverse, its mission is the same across borders and markets: to deliver brand experiences which truly meet the needs of its audiences and clients. Haymarket’s brands include Campaign, PRWeek, What Car?, Autocar, AsianInvestor and Finance Asia.
www.haymarket.com
About LIONS
LIONS is the global platform that champions creativity and marketing effectiveness for growth. We help businesses grow through creative marketing that matters.
We know that creativity can and should be applied across the full marketing mix. Creativity is an impactful business driver - and when it's integrated with a culture of effectiveness, it's a competitive advantage.
Backed by over 150 years of experience and evidence, Cannes Lions, WARC, Effie, Contagious and Acuity - provides the global marketing industry with the definitive benchmarks, intelligence, training and tailored advice needed to grow.
LIONS is part of Informa PLC.
www.lions.co
About Informa
Informa PLC is a leading international B2B events, digital services and academic research group.
We champion specialists. Through hundreds of market-leading brands, we connect people with knowledge so they can learn more, know more and do more.
We operate in over 30 countries and serve businesses and professionals working in over a dozen specialist markets.
Informa is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.
www.informa.com
Digital
Gold
Thanks For The Buffet!
Nuraisy Romi, Junior Art Director, Ogilvy Singapore
Kien (Trung) Nguyen, Junior Copywriter, Ogilvy Singapore
Silver
THE DISHCOUNT
Deborah YogiArt Director, Publicis Groupe Japan - Beacon Communications K.K.
Hikari Mino, Creative Copywriter, Publicis Groupe Japan - Beacon Communications K.K.
Bronze
Grab the Hidden Price
Seunghyun Kim, Art Director, Daehong, South Korea
Seojin Chang, Copywriter, Daehong, South Korea
Integrated
Gold
MOAUCTION
Yasuko Kawaguchi, Copywriter/Planner, Hakuhodo Creative Vox, Japan
Yijia Wang, Copywriter/Planner, Hakuhodo, Japan~
Silver
#BEERforMOUSTACHE
Tomoaki Uchiyama, Copywriter, Happy Hours Hakuhodo, Japan Yusuke Wakata, Art Director, Hakuhodo, Japan
Bronze
Awkward Mo-ment
Cheng Chung Ue, Senior Art Director, de goose, Hong Kong
Tsz Yin ChengSenior Copywriter, de goose, Hong Kong
The Spikes Asia Creativity Report and the full rankings will be released on Monday 30 March. The Creativity Report, which shines a light on the best creativity across APAC, as selected by Spikes Asia Juries, features exclusive insights from the Jury room and trends and themes that have emerged from the 2026 Awards.
All results can be found on The Work.
ENDS
Assets:
You can download assets to use in your reporting here.
Contacts:
Camilla Lambert
PR Director
LIONS
Camillal@canneslions.com
Tash Naidoo
Senior PR Manager
LIONS
Tashn@canneslions.com
Press Portal:
press.canneslions.com
Awards queries:
awards@spikes.asia
Notes to editors
About Spikes Asia
Spikes Asia, the home of Asia-Pacific creativity, is the region’s oldest and most prestigious awards for creative advertising. Building on over 35 years of the illustrious Spikes Awards and Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Spikes Asia is the result of a collaboration between LIONS, part of Informa PLC, organisers of Cannes Lions, and Haymarket, publisher of Campaign Asia-Pacific.
Spikes Asia celebrates creative excellence in the Asia-Pacific region alongside learning and networking opportunities. The Awards serve as the definitive benchmark for creative excellence, marketing strategy and effectiveness in Asia-Pacific.
www.spikes.asia
About Haymarket
Haymarket Media Group creates award-winning specialist content and information for international audiences. The company has more than 70 market-leading brands created by world-class experts in locations in the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Germany. Haymarket’s consumer and professional brands connect people and communities across digital, mobile, print and live/virtual media platforms. Although Haymarket’s portfolio is diverse, its mission is the same across borders and markets: to deliver brand experiences which truly meet the needs of its audiences and clients. Haymarket’s brands include Campaign, PRWeek, What Car?, Autocar, AsianInvestor and Finance Asia.
www.haymarket.com
About LIONS
LIONS is the global platform that champions creativity and marketing effectiveness for growth. We help businesses grow through creative marketing that matters.
We know that creativity can and should be applied across the full marketing mix. Creativity is an impactful business driver - and when it's integrated with a culture of effectiveness, it's a competitive advantage.
Backed by over 150 years of experience and evidence, Cannes Lions, WARC, Effie, Contagious and Acuity - provides the global marketing industry with the definitive benchmarks, intelligence, training and tailored advice needed to grow.
LIONS is part of Informa PLC.
www.lions.co
About Informa
Informa PLC is a leading international B2B events, digital services and academic research group.
We champion specialists. Through hundreds of market-leading brands, we connect people with knowledge so they can learn more, know more and do more.
We operate in over 30 countries and serve businesses and professionals working in over a dozen specialist markets.
Informa is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.
www.informa.com
