Smith & Western celebrates award haul at the Transform Awards ANZ 2025

Leading independent Australian owned sonic branding agency Smith & Western has capped off a standout year with two major wins at last night’s Transform Awards ANZ. Held at Doltone House in Sydney, the team took home the coveted Gold Award for their sonic identity work with TPG and a Bronze Medal for their work on The Ring sonic branding.

Recognised as the region’s benchmark for excellence in brand strategy and creative execution, the Transform Awards celebrate the most effective, innovative and impactful branding work across Australia and New Zealand.

Judges praised Smith & Western’s work for its distinctiveness, clarity and strategic strength. One judge noted that it “felt fresh and fun and every element had purpose rather than feeling generic,” while another highlighted that “the strength here is in how the pieces all connect as a system. It is polished, well executed and really elevates the brand experience.”

Smith & Western co founders Dan Higson and Nick West accepted the Gold Award for Best Use of Audio Branding. West shared his excitement, saying: “This is a massive win for us and we’re incredibly proud of the work we created for TPG. It was a long and demanding project with plenty of twists and turns, but the outcome speaks for itself. Working with our friends at RGA and Thinkerbell, along with the fantastic team at TPG, made the journey a rewarding one. Big thanks to Krista, Laura, Bobby and the whole TPG crew who were there celebrating with us last night!”

With two more medals added to the shelf, Smith & Western closes out the year as one of Australia’s most awarded sonic branding agencies, reinforcing its reputation for world class creative, strategic sound and brand defining work.

Clemenger BBDO also had a huge night with its client Michael Hill. The project, which won three Golds in addition to the illustrious ‘Grand Prix’ trophy, won over judges who described the outcome as “admirable”. The high street jewellers swapped out its price-focused and garish old identity for a premium and aspirational look, which resulted in a massive return on investment. The project was a true standout and set the bar high in the region for years to come.

Another big winner on the night was Solo by MYOB, an app designed to take the pain out of admin, and Re Design which took home the ‘Best Overall Visual Identity.” Impactful and memorable, according to judges, the work also won a further two Golds in ‘Best Use of Copy Style or Tone of Voice’ and ‘Best Visual Identity from the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Sector.’

It was also a good night for Principals. In addition to taking home three Golds, three Silvers and four Bronzes, it won the ‘Creative Director of the Year,’ courtesy of Rachel Terkelsen, and ‘Young Contender of the Year’ thanks to the efforts of Veronica Brzozowska. Elsewhere, ‘Brand Strategist of the Year’ was won by Hulsbosch’s Carolyn Pitt.

The panel of expert judges, who carefully examined every project entered this year, hailed from a wide variety of credible organisations including Coinstash, KPMG Australia and Mondelez. They focused on creativity, innovation, strategic excellence and implementation in determining the best projects this year.

VIEW THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS HERE

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