VML – Agency Network of the Year, and HORNBACH Awarded Brand of the Year
Spotlight on Grabarz & Partner, Winner of the LTX Competition Gold Tower, and Klick Health, Recipient of the 2026 Cristal Village Award
New York Festivals Advertising Awards (NYFA) announced the Industry Awards for the 2026 competition.
The New York Festivals Advertising Awards Industry Awards celebrate companies whose award-winning work exemplifies creativity, innovation, and effectiveness on a global stage. This distinction celebrates agencies, networks, and brands whose work captures audience, strengthens connection, and defines creative excellence across the industry.
Recipients of the 2026 Industry Awards are determined by the total number of top-scoring entries earning trophies, as evaluated by the New York Festivals 2026 Executive Jury. These distinguished award-winning companies continue to shape the future of advertising and communications through work that drives impact, inspires audiences, and advances creative achievement worldwide.
Agency of the Year – HeimatTBWA\ Berlin
HeimatTBWA\ Berlin has been named Agency of the Year, a distinguished honor recognizing exceptional creative achievement and excellence across all media. The agency delivered an outstanding performance for its client HORNBACH, earning 2 Grand Towers, 9 Gold Towers, 3 Silver Towers, and 7 Finalist Awards.
This top distinction is awarded to the agency achieving the highest overall score for consistently high-performing creative work across the competition, underscoring HeimatTBWA\ Berlin’s remarkable range, and impact within this year’s awards.
“Winning a double Grand Prix besides 9 Golds is a wonderful thing. Being named Agency of the Year is something else entirely. Because it celebrates the people and all their decisions that made our winning work possible.”—Guido Heffels, Chief Creative for HORNBACH, Founder at HEIMAT Berlin
Agency Network of the Year – VML
VML has been named Agency Network of the Year, honored for an exceptional year of creative achievement and standout performance across the global creative landscape. Demonstrating award-winning excellence across multiple categories, the network earned an impressive haul of 3 Grand Towers, 8 Gold Towers, 5 Silver Towers, 9 Bronze Towers, and 29 Finalist Awards.
This distinguished honor recognizes the agency network achieving the highest overall score across all submitted entries, celebrating consistently exceptional creative work throughout its global network and setting a new benchmark for industry excellence.
“Being named Agency Network of the Year is an incredible honor and a reflection of what’s possible when world-class talent relentlessly pursues big, human-first ideas. NY Festivals occupies a unique place in our industry, because it holds the work to a New York standard—the place where culture, creativity, and the world’s biggest brands collide. With top honors across New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Detroit, it’s a testament to the talent, craft, and commitment across the VML global creative community.”—Debbi Vandeven, Global Chief Creative Officer at VML
Brand of the Year – HORNBACH
HORNBACH, one of Germany’s leading DIY chains, has been named Brand of the Year, recognized for its outstanding creative campaigns and consistent excellence across all media. This distinguished honor celebrates brands that achieve the highest overall score across their submitted work, demonstrating innovation, creativity, and effective communications.
The award highlights HORNBACH’s ability to stand out across the competition through impactful storytelling and consistently strong, creatively driven marketing.
Production Company of the Year – Tempomedia Filmproduktion
Tempomedia Filmproduktion has been named Production Company of the Year, recognized for an exceptional body of work that exemplifies excellence in visual storytelling and craft. The acclaimed German production company delivered standout work for HORNBACH, earning an impressive 2 Grand Towers, 9 Gold Towers, 3 Silver Towers, and 7 Finalist Awards.
Renowned for its cinematic approach to commercial filmmaking and branded content, Tempomedia Filmproduktion continues to set a high standard for creative execution, bringing bold ideas to life through compelling storytelling and exceptional production quality.
“For us, being recognized with an award like this as a German production is an absolute dream. Projects with this level of ambition and respect for pure craft don’t come along very often, and it’s a privilege to be allowed to execute an idea in such a detailed, hands‑on way. We’re incredibly proud of the trust the agency and client placed in us and grateful for the chance to gather such an outstanding team around this film. It was a hell of a ride but worth every meter and that’s exactly what makes our job worth doing.” —Vera Portz, Executive Producer and Partner at Tempomedia
2026 LTX Competition – Grabarz & Partner – Almost Human (German Depression Foundation)
Grabarz & Partner has earned top honors in the LTX Competition, receiving a New York Festivals Gold Tower along with 60 million LTX credits for their campaign “Almost Human” created for the German Depression Foundation.
Now in its second year, the NYF and LTX Studio partnership challenges creative teams to explore the future of AI-driven storytelling by producing a :30 film for a nonprofit organization using LTX Studio, a co-pilot platform for agencies, filmmakers, and marketers. The tool enables users to develop characters, design scenes, map story arcs, and build immersive visual worlds within a single integrated environment.
All entries were reviewed and debated live by the NYF 2026 Executive Jury, led by Andrea Diquez, Global CEO of GUT. Grabarz & Partner’s winning entry was recognized by the jury for its innovation in storytelling and creative execution.
“We are really happy by this recognition; especially because it allows us to continue supporting the German Depression Foundation with the help of the awesome LTX AI capabilities and the prestigious New York Festivals. And thus to keep raising awareness about this complex and insidious illness.”—Ralf Heuel, CCO/Partner/Co-Founder at Grabarz & Partner
2026 NYF Cristal Village Award – Klick Health – 18 Months (Second Nurture)
Now in its second year, the NYF Cristal Village Award, presented in partnership with the African Cristal Festival, celebrates outstanding creative work that educates for good, bridges cultures, and inspires meaningful change.
This special honor recognizes brands and experiential campaigns that bring purpose-driven creativity to life across all channels, connecting audiences through powerful storytelling, cultural collaboration, and positive impact. The 2026 Cristal Village Award is presented to 18 Months by Klick Health for client Second Nurture, in recognition of work that exemplifies the spirit of creativity with purpose.
“The Cristal Village Award aims to recognize work which challenges norms, shifts thinking and changes behavior. Our esteemed judges were unanimous that 18 months reimagines the idea of family and is a story of humanity and people bonding for life. A true story speaking to a real need in society.” —Justin Thomas-Copeland, President of the Jury, Cristal Village Award Chair, African Cristal Festival
The New York Festivals Advertising Awards competition receives entries from seven continents and is judged by an international jury of more than 350 members of NYF’s Executive Jury, Specialty Executive Juries, and Shortlist Jury. New York Festivals jury panels collectively cast their votes to select the year’s trophy-winning work.
For more information about the 2026 NYF Advertising Awards and to view the 2026 winners’ showcase, visit HERE.