Australian Marketing Institute announces 2026 Marketing Excellence Awards finalists

The Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) has revealed the finalists for the 2026 AMI Marketing Excellence Awards, a shortlist drawn from a national field of entries and assessed by a judging panel of 86 Certified Practising Marketers (CPMs) from across the country.

 

This year’s finalists span 17 campaign categories, from acquisition marketing and brand revitalisation to data and insight-driven marketing, sustainability and purpose-driven marketing, and excellence in the use of AI and technology. The work represents organisations and teams across financial services, retail, government, education, not-for-profit, health, hospitality and manufacturing, reflecting the scale and diversity of marketing practice in Australia today.

AMI Acting CEO Kathryn Illy said this year’s finalists reflect a profession that continues to raise the bar on both commercial impact and strategic thinking: “Every finalist in this year’s Awards has demonstrated the clarity, rigour, creativity and strategic discipline that our judging panel of CPMs looks for, with a clear focus on connecting strategy to genuine business outcomes,” said Illy. “As the profession continues to navigate rapid change, from AI adoption to shifting customer expectations, these finalists show just how future-ready Australian marketing has become.”

Key individuals and special category finalists

The Lisa Ronson Emerging Marketer of the Year
Honouring emerging marketers who demonstrate creative and commercial impact, and the generosity to grow others:

●      Darshan Hitesh Pawani – Performance Manager, Starcom
●      Gigi Parikh – Marketing Manager, Fidante
●      Laura Jeffries – Associate Product Marketing Manager, Google
●      Rhianna Lieu – Integrated Media and Marketing Manager, Paper + Spark
●      Jose Alejandro Plazas Garrido – Senior Digital Marketing Specialist, Them Advertising

Future Leader of the Year
Recognising the next generation of marketing leaders driving impact within their organisations:
●      Josh Fritz – Founder & Managing Director, Patch Agency
●      Katherine Venus – Head of Small Business Marketing, NAB
●      Rob Di Giovanni – Head of Marketing, Bonfire
●      Sophie Harris – Senior Manager, Brand & Marketing Operations, Wesfarmers Health
●      Margot Alais – Head of Creative & Production, Paper + Spark

CPM of the Year
Recognising strategic, values-led leadership by Australia’s top CPMs:

●      Jo Rao – General Manager Marketing, Wink
●      Hayley Boneham – Head of Brand, Experience & Innovation, Capital Partners
●      Steve Fontanot – Commercial Managing Director APAC, Havas Red &   Managing Director, Havas Blvd
●      Kate Coleridge – Owner, Coleridge Creative
●      Hunter Leonard – CEO & Founder, Blue Frog Marketing

CMO of the Year
For C-suite leaders driving commercial growth, brand transformation and team excellence:

●      Renee Howie – Chief Customer Officer, Insignia Financial
●      Anand Surujpal – Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, Patties Food Group
●      Joanne Smith – Chief Brand, Innovation and Communications Officer,    Blackmores Group
●      Matt Vince – Chief Commercial & Risk Officer, Tassal Seafood
●      Caroline Raj – Senior Director, Marketing, ServiceNow

Agency of the Year
Celebrating creative and strategic performance across agencies of every size:

Under 50 Employees:
●      MKTG Sports + Entertainment
●      The Dubs Agency
●      Floodlight Agency
●      Outta Spatial
●      Bonfire
●      Bennett
●      The Creative Collective
●      Wink
●      Paper + Spark
●      Anchora

Over 50 Employees:
●      Thinkerbell
●      Apparent

Marketing Team of the Year
Recognising collective impact and high-performance marketing leadership:

●      Customer, Trade Planning & Loyalty Team of the Year – Coles Liquorland
●      Anytime Fitness Australia
●      Origin Marketing Team
●      Development Victoria Marketing Team
●      Ingenia Holidays Marketing
●      Wesfarmers Health Retail Marketing Team
●      Marketing and Communications, The University of Sydney
●      Tassal Seafood Marketing Team
●      Peninsula Hot Springs Marketing Team

The AMI Life Member Award and the Sir Charles McGrath Award will be revealed at the ceremony.

Winners will be announced at the 2026 AMI Marketing Excellence Awards Long Lunch on Friday, 11 September, at ILUMINA, Sydney, where the marketing community will come together to celebrate the year’s standout campaigns, teams and individuals.

Reserve your seat here.

Full finalist list here.

 

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