Gerety Awards 2026: KitKat, Hornbach, and Sickkids Win the Grand Prix
The 2026 Gerety Awards have announced their winners: Four Grand Prix awards went to campaigns that combine creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural relevance—including two awards for «The KitKat Heist.».
The 2026 Gerety Awards winners have been announced: Three campaigns share four Grand Prix awards—proving that the most powerful advertising doesn’t demand attention, but earns it. More than 250 jurors from over 50 countries selected this year’s winners. The complete results: four Grand Prix, 34 Gold, 69 Silver, and 75 Bronze—including first-ever awards for Tunisia.
Four Grand Prix Awards for Three Outstanding Campaigns
The jury selected three entries to receive a total of four Grand Prix awards. First up is «No Project Without Drama» for Hornbach, created by HeimatTBWA\Berlin—a campaign that impressed the jury in the Craft CUT Production Design category. The jury praised the analog approach featuring real singers, stage sets, and live music.
Another award went to «The Count» for Sickkids, produced by Soundtree Music for FCB Canada. The piece won in the Craft CUT-Music category and impressed the judges with its strategic use of music as a creative craft.
However, the biggest success of the evening went to «The KitKat Heist» for KitKat, created by VML UK: The campaign won two Grand Prix awards—in Communication CUT-PR and in the new Moments CUT-PR category. What began as a brand mishap was transformed by VML UK into a public invitation for the audience to help find a solution.
Gerety Awards Winners: What Impressed the Jury
Maria Milusheva, CCO at OM Group & Much Better (Bulgaria), summed up the principle behind «The KitKat Heist»: «AI can produce content, but not attention. KitKat did exactly that—they brought a problem to light and invited people to help find a solution. That takes courage. And boldness!»
Alexandra Todirica, Marketing Manager at McDonald’s Romania and a member of the Grand Jury, highlighted the quality of the submitted work: «The most powerful creative work does more than just attract attention—it generates a reaction, a conversation, and ultimately a point of view. In 2026, creativity is at its strongest when bold ideas meet exceptional execution.»
Imen Gharbi, Managing Director of Doze Agency (Tunisia), added: «This year’s best ideas seem effortless. Behind this apparent simplicity lies an incredible amount of craftsmanship, cultural understanding, and precision.»
Dipshika Ravi, National Creative Director at Schbang, described the Grand Prix entry as follows: «The work does not disrupt the culture; it creates a moment within it.»
About the Gerety Awards
The Gerety Awards are named after Frances Gerety, the copywriter who coined the slogan «A diamond is forever» in 1948. This internationally oriented creative festival sees itself as a benchmark for advertising from a diverse range of perspectives and aims to redefine the standard by which advertising is measured. Christen Rochon, Director of Ad Partnerships at NBCUniversal, summarized the awards« mission: »These works are more than a celebration of creative excellence. The top Grand Prix winners reflect influence, proactively drive its development, and leave a lasting mark on the fabric of culture.”
All the winners of the 2026 Gerety Awards are listed at www.geretyawards.com retrievable.
