Special Australia wins Grand Effie and takes Agency and Independent Agency of the Year at 2026 APAC Effie Awards
Special Australia has taken out the top honours at the 2026 APAC Effie Awards. It won the Grand Effie for Uber’s ‘Get Almost Almost Anything’ and was named both Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year.
Of the 121 finalists, 67 were announced as metal winners including 1 Grand Effie, 15 Golds, 20 Silvers, and 31 Bronzes. Australian agencies won 11 awards in total including one Grand Effie, three Gold, two Silver and five Bronze.
Special Australia‘s Uber work also collected two Golds with ‘Get Almost Almost Anything Maybe Even Andy’ winning in Delivery Services with EssenceMediacom Sydney, and ‘Get Almost Almost Anything’ which won in Sustained Success – Services.
Leo Sydney won three awards for Suncorp Group. T&P Melbourne won two awards for Mars Australia’s ‘MasterFoods Democracy Sauce’. Bastion Sydney, Dentsu Creative Sydney and Droga5 ANZ each picked up a Bronze.
Says Celia Garforth, Special CSO (Uber APAC): “To be recognised at this level for the sustained success of our work with Uber Eats is a massive honour, particularly in a marketing environment where the odds are increasingly stacked against investing in long-term, creatively led brand building. A huge thank you to the Effies judges, and of course to our incredible partners at Uber for continuing to bet on the outsize impact of creativity.”
Australian winners
Grand Effie
Get Almost Almost Anything – Uber – Special Sydney
Gold
Get Almost Almost Anything Maybe Even Andy – Uber – Special Sydney / EssenceMediacom Sydney – Delivery Services
Giving Every Home In Australia A Voice – Suncorp Group – Leo Sydney / OMD Sydney / Hogarth Sydney / Publicis Production Sydney / Unit 9 (London) – Branded Utility
Get Almost Almost Anything – Uber – Special Sydney – Sustained Success – Services
Silver
Turning Safe Driving Into A National Sport – Suncorp Group – Leo Sydney / OMD Sydney / Publicis Production Sydney / Gemba Sydney – Data Driven
MasterFoods Democracy Sauce – Mars Australia – T&P Melbourne / WPP Media Melbourne / Enthral Melbourne – Timely Opportunity – Products
Bronze
Kellogg’s ‘For Real’ – Kellanova Australia – Bastion Sydney – Food
MasterFoods Democracy Sauce – Mars Australia – T&P Melbourne / WPP Media Melbourne / Enthral Melbourne – Asia Pacific Brands – Products
Making THE ICONIC iconic again – Global Fashion Group Australia – Dentsu Creative Sydney / Good Oil Films Sydney / Love Media – Brand Revitalisation
Turning Safe Driving Into A National Sport – Suncorp Group – Leo Sydney / OMD Sydney / Publicis Production Sydney / Gemba Sydney – Positive Change: Social – Brands – Services
Australian Lamb: From Comments to Cutlets! – Meat & Livestock Australia – Droga5 Sydney, part of Accenture Song / UM Sydney / One Green Bean Sydney – Food
Leo ends a 7-year streak to clinch Agency Network of the Year for the first time in APAC Effie history. Grab won the most Special Awards of the night including Brand of the Year, Marketer of the Year, and third place for Agency of the Year.
Says Danielle Jin, 2026 Awards chairperson: “Every year the APAC Effie Awards recognises marketing excellence from around the region and the people behind it, driving phenomenal results with their creative ingenuity and strategic thinking. The work recognised this year demonstrates that in a world of increasing complexity and distraction, effective marketing still begins with understanding people. It is a privilege to reveal the winners that this year’s jury has chosen after immense deliberation. Congratulations on setting the gold standard for marketing effectiveness.”
DOWNLOAD THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS HERE
All winners and finalists will be accorded points towards the 2026 Effie Index, which ranks the most effective agencies, marketers, and brands globally. The Index will be announced in 2027, for the most recent Index, see here.
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