The 2026 Media Awards are now open for entries.
The Media Awards will take place in Dublin’s Mansion House on Thursday May 7 and the closing date for entries is March 26 at 11.59pm. The MC for the night is Virgin Media Television’s Collette Fitzpatrick.
Now in their 15th year the Media Awards are the premier advertising and marketing awards programme for agencies, brands and advertisers on the Island of Ireland.
The Awards are judged by a panel of expert Irish and international judges drawn from the wider marketing and advertising industries. The chair of this year’s judging panel is Dr Rosie Hand, Head of Advertising and Communications in the School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at TU Dublin.
“The Media Awards are designed to highlight the creativity, talent, and cleverness thriving within our industry,” says Hand. “They go beyond just showcasing; they demonstrate the industry’s growth, evolution, and significant contributions to having a sustainable Irish media and marketing sector. Importantly to me, they also serve to encourage higher standards amongst the sectors’ younger and brightest talent.”
Apart from showcasing and rewarding effective media and advertising campaigns, the awards also recognise the enormous individual contribution that certain media and advertising professionals have made with the Rising Star Award and the Media Trailblazer Award given out on the night.
The awards are supported by Platinum Sponsors DMG Media Ireland and Virgin Media Television; Gold Sponsors Bauer Media Group, Mediahuis Ireland, Dunnhumby, and Converge Digital which is sponsoring a new category for 2026, Best Adoption of AI. Silver Sponsors include Elevate by Musgrave, TAM Ireland, Newsbrands Ireland, Radio Centre Ireland, TG4 and recruitment specialist Think Differently.
For more information visit www.mediaawards.ie
Media Awards 2026 Categories
Best Collaboration Agency & Media Owner – Large
Best Collaboration Agency & Media Owner -Intermediate
Best Collaboration Agency & Media Owner – Niche –
Best Research Initiative
Best Sustainability Initiative
Best Use of Audio
Best Use of AV
Best Use of Content / Creative
Best Use of Cross-Platform Out of Home
Best use of Retail
Best Use of National Print and Digital
Best use of Sponsorship
Media Agency of the Year (ROI or NI)
Media Brand of the Year
Media Campaign – Intermediate
Media Campaign – Large
Media Campaign – Medium
Media Campaign – Niche
Rising Star
Best Sales Initiative
Sales Team of the Year
Best use of the Irish Language
Best Adoption of AI
Best Regional Campaign
Best International Campaign
Media Trailblazer
Grand Prix
