Over 500 guests attended the annual Media Awards 2026 in Dublin’s Mansion House for the gala black-tie event which was hosted by Virgin Media Television’s news anchor Colette Fitzpatrick.
This year’s big awards saw the Grand Prix going to RTÉ, EssenceMediacom, part of WPP Media, and Lidl for “In Dublin’s Fair City, Where Lidl’s So Pretty” for the retailer’s product placement deal with Ireland’s leading soap opera, Fair City.
According to the judges, “there were several strong contenders for the Grand Prix, but the Lidl/RTE/Essence Mediacom campaign stood out as truly groundbreaking.”
The judges added that “by embedding the Lidl brand within Fair City, the partnership created a culturally immersive experience that directly addressed a significant business challenge: Lidl’s perception as a ‘foreign supermarket.’ The campaign required strategic negotiation, set development, seamless content integration, and close collaboration to amplify effectively. The results were compelling, delivering shifts in perception, deeper brand loyalty, and strong commercial growth.”
Meanwhile, PHD picked up the coveted Media Agency of the Year, an award it has won several times over the last six years. The agency, which is part of Omnicom Media Group, won a number of awards on the night.
According to the judges: “PHD has delivered a standout year of growth and momentum, marked by significant increases in billings, revenue, and team expansion. The agency demonstrated exceptional client trust and retention, with existing partners reaffirming their commitment through extended contracts and, notably, zero client losses over the period.”
The judges added that “alongside this stability, PHD secured a number of major new business wins that will come on stream in early 2026, further strengthening its market position.
What makes this growth particularly impressive is that it has been built strategically over several years, underpinned by a deliberate transformation of internal ways of working, a strong commitment to promoting from within, and a clear investment in nurturing emerging talent.
“This is not growth by chance, but growth by design. With a robust pipeline of new business and a proven ability to evolve while maintaining client confidence, PHD enters 2026 in a position of real strength—poised to integrate new partnerships successfully and continue building on this exceptional trajectory of performance and innovation.”
Elsewhere, Core picked up Agency Group of the Year for the third year running. Core agencies, including Starcom, Spark Foundry, Zenith and Core Sponsorship won a total of 11 awards on the night, including four Golds.
The Awards are now in their 15th year and in 2026 they were supported by:
Platinum Sponsors: DMG Media Ireland and Virgin Media Television;
Gold Sponsors: Bauer Media Group, Mediahuis Ireland, Dunnhumby, and Converge Digital.
Silver Sponsors: Elevate by Musgrave, TAM Ireland, Newsbrands Ireland, Radio Centre Ireland, TG4 and recruitment specialist Think Differently.
