The Guardian Advertising Awards 2026 winners were announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 17 June, honoring campaigns that ran across Guardian channels over the past year. The awards highlight exceptional examples of scale, influence and integrity, the unique formula offered to advertisers by the Guardian.
Ceremony Highlights
The third annual event was hosted by Imogen Fox, the Guardian’s global chief advertising officer, and James Fleetham, the Guardian’s director of advertising. Brands and agencies entered some of the best advertising examples featured on the Guardian across five categories.
Category Winners
- Everyday brands: Andrex and PHD for "Permission To Poo"
- Brands connecting with big moments: Ring and MG OMD for "Ring In The New"
- Premium brands: Mastercard, Carat and The Story Lab for "Priceless Moments"
- Brands doing the right thing: Co-op, Carat and The Story Lab for "From Play To Purpose"
- Challenger brands: SC Johnson Ecover and T&P for "Waste No Space"
Grand Prix Award
The Grand Prix award for a campaign exceeding entry criteria went to Andrex and PHD for "Permission To Poo." Judges praised the work for sparking conversation about children’s toilet-related stigma in schools, offering warmth, authenticity and practical advice. The campaign demonstrated meaningful change and collaboration with the Guardian to address a taboo subject.
Alexander Tuffley, media manager at Kimberly-Clark, said: "We are extremely proud of our ‘Permission to Poo’ campaign. By harnessing the Guardian’s scale, influence and integrity, we sparked a vital conversation affecting millions of school kids. Winning both the Everyday Brands and Grand Prix awards is a testament to the collaboration between Kimberly-Clark, PHD and the Guardian."
Judges’ Comments
Peter Field of Field Rogers Ltd noted: "The standard of entries and quality of work were deeply impressive, especially the Grand Prix winner, which is world class. These cases offer a treasure trove of learning on good strategy and insight, with eye-catching creatives and intelligent use of purpose. They remind us of the need for great media in a world starved of trusted advertising platforms."
James Fleetham commented: "The awards celebrated putting humans at the heart of advertising. From Andrex helping families have important conversations, to Co-op addressing youth cybercrime grooming, to Ring tapping into home-buying excitement, this year’s winners show the power of campaigns built on genuine human insight."
Judging Panel
The panel included Peter Field (Field Rogers Ltd), David Wilding (WPP Media), Sharon Dhillon (Initiative), Heather Dansie (Newsworks), Karen Martin (BBH), Elliott Millard (Thinkbox), Rachel Hamburger (Mother London), Florence Morgan (Tesco), James Bailey (Dentsu UK&I), Leila Siddiqi (IPA) and Emily Henderson (Google).
For more information, contact media.enquiries@theguardian.com.
