ADCE Awards open to all European creative competitions

The Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) has announced a significant change to its prestigious ADCE Awards. From this year's call for entries in May, all participants from 34 leading creative competitions on the continent will be able to submit their work.

Previously, the competition was only open to winners and shortlisted entries from the 25 ADCE member clubs and selected non-member organizations. Now, the ADCE Award is open to anyone who submits to these member clubs, as well as to all participants in nine additional European non-member competitions. The full list of the 34 eligible competitions is available on the ADCE website.

More access, same high standards

The new entry guidelines make the ADCE competition more inclusive and accessible to more creatives across Europe. The ADCE Award is changing from a "final round" to a networked platform that identifies and recognizes European creativity. The new system aims to better reflect the diversity of the European creative landscape. By opening up to participants from member and non-member competitions, the ADCE Awards create a level playing field for smaller agencies and creatives in smaller markets.

While access to the competition is expanding, the standards of excellence and the high bar remain unchanged. The prestigious international ADCE juries, composed annually of leading creative personalities from across the continent, bring different perspectives that reflect the cultural diversity of the European creative community. The juries continue to use The One Club's proprietary judging technology platform to ensure maximum fairness and transparency.

Global creative rankings

Since ADCE 2023 became part of the global non-profit organization The One Club for Creativity, the club has strengthened its mission to promote European creativity beyond the continent. The current evolution of the ADCE Awards now fits better into The One Club's global ecosystem and strengthens the visibility of European work within the prestigious annual Global Creative Rankings.

The Global Creative Rankings, which combine points from The One Show, the global ADC Annual Awards, ONE Asia Creative Awards, The One Club US Chapter Awards, the Type Directors Club TDC Competitions and the ADCE Awards, are considered the most comprehensive worldwide ranking of agencies, brands, creative work and creatives in the industry. By opening the ADCE Awards to all participants from 34 European competitions, more creatives now have the opportunity to earn points and gain recognition on a global and regional level.

"Our industry thrives on constant change," says Rita Spielvogel, ADCE Board Member and Creative Director at DDB Vienna. "This change to the ADCE Award is a big one, and one from which everyone can benefit: by democratizing access, promoting diverse creativity and thus creating a strong, even more united creative Europe."

"The ADCE Awards have always represented the best of European creativity," explains Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Club for Creativity. "Opening up the competition to all participants from 34 European competitions strengthens this mission by giving more creatives the opportunity to pit their ideas against the continent's best. It also ensures that outstanding work, regardless of its origin, has a path to global recognition through The One Club's Global Creative Rankings."

The call for entries for the ADCE Awards 2026 opens in May.