The Advertising Club is walking into Goafest 2026 with a significantly evolved ABBY Awards – one that’s broader, more inclusive, and more aligned with where the industry is actually headed.
For its 57th edition, the ABBYs have introduced two new network-level trophies: Creative Network of the Year and Media Network of the Year. Alongside these, the Creative Client of the Year and Media Client of the Year Awards make their debut – recognising clients whose brands collectively secure the highest points across Creative and Media categories, deepening participation beyond agencies for the first time.
An Independent Agency of the Year Award has also been added, giving standalone shops their own moment on the main stage.
On the category front, two new Creative ABBY categories reflect the industry’s digital reality: Social Content & Influencer Marketing, and Creative Commerce, Use of Data and B2B. Meanwhile, the erstwhile Green ABBY, Red ABBY, and DEI categories have been consolidated under a unified Sustainable Development Goals category.
Dheeraj Sinha, President of The Advertising Club and CEO of McCann India, called the upgrades a meaningful step forward – bringing in a Big Four firm as process consultant and introducing trophies that finally put clients on stage alongside their agencies.
Ajay Kakar, Chairperson of ABBY Awards 2026, added that as the industry grows more global, its benchmarks must evolve accordingly.
The ABBY Awards 2026, powered by The One Club | The One Show, takes place at Goafest, May 20–22, at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon.
