Our series of insights from this year’s Wires judges continues, with another dive into what the judges feel really defines award-winning work…

Following our first  announcement, we have a new set of judges ready to tell us what kind of work they think will win a Wires award this year.

We asked them what they believe will make an award-winning entry and what qualities define an award-winning campaign or product. 

You can learn more about this year's categories here - once you’ve taken the judges thoughts on board, enter the awards here for a chance to take home an award at this year's ceremony…

What the judges think…

Dawn Liu, Field Marketing Leader for Data Platform - Asia Pacific, IBM

I’m genuinely excited to join The Wires judging panel because it’s an opportunity to celebrate the most innovative work shaping the future of marketing, data, and technology. Being part of a jury that evaluates the best ideas across the region is both a privilege and a learning moment. I’m looking forward to seeing how brands, agencies, and technology partners are pushing boundaries - especially in how they’re using AI to deliver meaningful business outcomes. It’s energising to be surrounded by peers who share a passion for excellence and future‑focused thinking.

Award‑winning work stands out not only because it's creative, but because it drives real impact. For me, the strongest entries share a few core qualities:

• Clarity of purpose - a well‑defined problem and a bold vision for how to solve it.
• Innovative use of data and technology - not just using AI or automation for the sake of novelty, but to unlock insightful, personalised, or scaled experiences.
• Measurable results - clear, credible business outcomes that demonstrate value.
• Human‑centric design - solutions that elevate the customer experience and respect trust, privacy, and responsible AI principles.

When creativity, technology, and impact come together seamlessly, that’s when a campaign becomes truly award‑worthy.

I’m also hoping to see more entries that blend creativity with operational efficiency—marketing that is not only imaginative but also accelerates business transformation.

I hope this year’s submissions reflect an industry that is moving toward more intentional, responsible, and value‑driven innovation. We’re at a pivotal moment where data and AI have the power to transform how brands operate, but impact must be created thoughtfully.

I’m hoping to see work that shows:

• A shift toward outcome‑driven experimentation, where technology is used to solve real customer challenges;
• Stronger cross‑functional collaboration between marketing, data science, and product teams;
• Greater emphasis on trust, governance, and ethical AI within customer experiences; and
• A more holistic definition of success, balancing creativity, performance, and long‑term customer value.

If the entries reflect this direction, it means the industry is maturing in the right way - innovating boldly while staying grounded in responsibility and measurable impact.

Kelly Vardala, Head of Operations, UM Qatar

I’m truly excited to join The Wires judging panel at a time when AI, data, and evolving consumer expectations are reshaping our industry. I’ll be looking for work that demonstrates clear strategic intent, intelligent application of data, and purposeful use of technology, not for its own sake, but as a solution to real marketing challenges. 

To me, an award-winning campaign or product shows measurable impact, scalability, and market relevance, while reflecting where our industry is heading: toward smarter, more human, and performance-driven innovation.

Nurulain Kamal, Marketing & Category Strategy Consultant, ex‑Diageo

What excites me most is the opportunity to spotlight work that doesn’t just look good on paper — but genuinely shifts both culture and commercial outcomes.

Across my roles, I’ve seen how powerful regional nuance can be. The most impactful work often sits at the intersection of uncomfortable insight, brave execution, and measurable impact. Being part of the Wires means helping identify and elevate work that pushes that standard forward, especially from underrepresented markets that are often overlooked in global conversations, I’m excited to learn and see where the industry is stretching next.

For me, award-winning work hits three spots - the human truth, executional excellence and finally, it wins hearts and minds. I’m always drawn to work that feels inevitable in hindsight, that it obviously couldn’t have been done any other way. The real human truth it taps on looks past generic demographic assumptions, and acknowledges a lived tension or behaviour shift. Then, it’s executed with clarity and nuance where we see coherence across touchpoints, distribution strategy, and commercial strategy.

The best work is both measurable and replicable, balancing art with accountability and hits us in our gut. This is how it achieves brand salience, conversion, cultural relevance, and ultimately, long-term equity.

I hope this year’s entries show that we’re moving beyond surface-level creativity and a beautiful face of a celebrity. The future belongs to brands and teams who hold space for cultural fluency and commercial discipline, creating work that grows with their customers.

Andy Barratt, Head of Retail Media, Currys

What I love about The Wires is that it rewards the 'how' as much as the 'what'. In previous years, the entries that really moved the needle weren't just the ones with the biggest budgets; they were the ones solving the 'unsolvable' problems—like using environmental data to trigger hyper-local campaigns or moving AI past the hype cycle into genuine, brand-safe utility. 

I’m hunting for that same 'eureka' moment in the 2026 entries, where technical excellence meets a real human problem. For me, a winner is defined by that perfect marriage of sophisticated tech and measurable business impact.

Abhinav Pincha, Director of Marketing (Communications, Brand, Digital, Loyalty & e-Distribution), Marriott International

I’m truly excited to join The Wires judging panel and contribute to recognising the innovation and excellence shaping our industry. The Wires has built a strong reputation for celebrating impactful work across the digital media and advertising ecosystem, and it’s an honour to be part of that process.

What excites me most is the opportunity to review ground-breaking campaigns, technologies, and strategies from across global markets. It’s always inspiring to see how brands and partners are pushing boundaries, solving complex challenges, and driving measurable results through creativity and data.

Being part of this panel is not only an opportunity to give back to the industry, but also to stay closely connected to the ideas and talent that are shaping its future.