D&AD has revealed this year’s D&AD Awards Pencil winners.
The winners draw from entries from 89 countries, the highest in the awards’ history, 573 Pencils were awarded across 46 categories, from over 50,000 pieces of work submitted.
The highest awarded countries for all Pencil levels excluding Black Pencil, were
United States – 235 Pencils
United Kingdom – 184 Pencils
France – 59 Pencils
Germany – 45 Pencils
Brazil – 42 Pencils
Highest Awarded Countries – Yellow Pencils Only
United States – 27 Pencils
United Kingdom – 25 Pencils
Canada – 5 Pencils
Singapore – 5 Pencils
France – 4 Pencils
The Culture discipline saw the strongest entry growth of any discipline in 2026, with entries up 49% year on year. Three categories, Sport Entertainment, Cultural Influence and Brand Transformation, made their D&AD Awards debut this year, awarding 10, eight and nine Pencils respectively.
The leading category by Pencils awarded in 2026:
Magazine and Newspaper Design – 28 Pencils, four Yellow
Art Direction – 25 Pencils, two Yellow Pencils
Film – 25 Pencils, four Yellow Pencils
Graphic Design – 23 Pencils, one Yellow Pencil
Experiential: Activation and Participation – 21 Pencils, one Yellow Pencil
Magazine & Newspaper Design and Film led on Yellow Pencils, each taking four, the highest of any category this year.
2026 Overall Results
The total number of Pencils awarded for the D&AD Awards 2026 by level:
White – two Pencils awarded
Yellow – 52 Pencils awarded
Graphite – 149 Pencils awarded
Wood – 368 Pencils awarded
Future Impact – Two Pencils awarded
Shortlisted – 557
Lisa Smith, D&AD president and Uncommon global chief design officer, says, “What stood out most was the sheer creative bravery and excellence on display. Across disciplines we saw teams pushing into genuinely new territory, from storytelling and traditional craft to emerging technologies and new forms of expression. Creativity is very much alive and the work that won did so because it moved the standard of creative excellence forward.”
D&AD CEO, David Patton, says, “64 years in and the D&AD Awards have never felt more global or more vital. The breadth of countries entering and the quality of work they’re producing tells you everything about where commercial creativity is headed.
“Entries were received from 89 countries this year, up from 86 in 2025 and the highest ever in D&AD Awards’ history. Significant growth in submissions from the UAE, India, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia signals that world-class creative ambition is no longer concentrated in a handful of markets, D&AD’s standard for excellence is being pursued and met across every continent.
“Singapore is perhaps the best example of that shift. Eleven Pencils, five of them Yellow, an achievement that signals where global creativity is heading.”
All Pencil-winning work and shortlisted entries are showcased on the D&AD website. The D&AD Rankings and Black Pencil winners will be announced at the ceremony in September.
Staff Reporter
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