What marketer doesn’t live for bragging rights, huh? Marketing awards are an avenue for reaching your potential (and adding a priceless asterisk to your ROI). From mainstream to the unexpected, find your next opportunity to scream, “They like us! They really like us!”, with our 2021 marketing awards list.
“We all have goals: We want to matter. We want to be important. We want to have freedom and power to pursue our creative work. We want respect from our peers and recognition for our accomplishments. Not out of vanity or selfishness, but of an earnest desire to fulfill our personal potential.”
Ryan Holiday is a writer, media strategist, and the bestselling author of several books, including The Daily Stoic. It’s no surprise that such an insightful content creator brilliantly and beautifully explains the value of recognition. Yet, pursuing marketing awards isn’t solely about recognition for your brand or agency.
The exercise of applying for a marketing award is a great learning experience. Fresh marketing ideas are ignited as you witness the work of past winners. Your prized campaign becomes more meaningful as you tell its story. Lastly, you tap into the courage it takes to press “submit” and put yourself out there to be judged.Find your next opportunity to scream, 'They like us! They really like us!' Earn your bragging rights with our 2021 marketing awards list. | #ContentMarketing Click To Tweet
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Reputable marketing awards are an avenue for reaching your personal and professional potential. From mainstream to the unexpected, the following marketing awards list will guide your pursuit.
Here’s a quick list, with full details for each following in the post.
List of marketing awards (alphabetical):
B2B Marketing Awards
Brand Impact Awards
Clios
Content Marketing Awards
Creativity International Awards
Davey Awards
Digiday Content Marketing Awards
Drum Marketing Awards
Hermes Creative Awards
James Beard Awards
Killer Content Awards
MarCom Awards
Muse Creative Awards
Webby Awards
The 2021 marketing awards list for serious potential seekers:
Unlike other marketing awards that honor flashy campaigns, The B2B Marketing Awards offer more data-driven and strategic category options, such as: Best Use of Customer Insight, Best Use of Account-Based Marketing, and Best Integration of Sales and Marketing. The winner example below “Pimp Their Boiler” proves B2B campaigns don’t have to be boring.
Entry Cost: 2021 TBA, but previous fees were £250+VAT per submission (B2B Marketing Premium member is £215+VAT).
Entry Period: Likely will open in May 2021, but you can register for interest updates.
Awards Announced: TBA, but the shortlist likely will be announced in August 2021, with awards announced in November 2021.Find your next opportunity to scream, 'They like us! They really like us!' Earn your bragging rights with our 2021 marketing awards list. | #ContentMarketing Click To Tweet
Branding agencies around the world rejoice! The Brand Impact Awards honor branded programs and campaigns who have been commissioned and implemented either nationally or internationally. Available categories are based on a wide range of verticals, such as Technology & Telecoms, Fashion, Artisan, Not-for-Profit, and Transport & Travel.
Entry Cost: 2021 TBA. Fees previously have been: £105 – £199 + VAT (depending on number of entries and submission dates).
Entry Deadline: 2021 TBA, but you currently can register for interest in 2021 on their website. Previous entry period opened in February; entry deadline likely is June but TBA.
Awards Announced: TBA.
For decades, The Clios have been celebrating creative excellence in advertising. Because these awards are so established, that means you have a bouquet of categories to consider, including: Brand & Corporate Identity, Banners & Rich Media Advertising, User Experience, Film / Video, Copywriting, Microsites, Websites, and even Virtual/Augmented Reality.
Entry Cost: $525-$1,150 depending on category and when you enter.
Entry Period: Entry period opens in late January each year, for the following year’s awards. Final deadline is February 5. 2021.
Awards Announced: Gold, Silver, Bronze and Shortlist announcements are TBA. Grand winners will be announced during the awards show in April 2021.
Marketing Inspiration: The 2019 Clio Grande Winner: Patagonia’s ‘Blue Heart’
Unless you reside on another planet, you’ve heard of Content Marketing Awards by Content Marketing Institute. Altogether, there are 85 categories recognizing agencies and brands across the entire spectrum of the content marketing industry. Winning a CMA is obviously a big deal, but even snagging a finalist position is a strong accolade.
Entry Cost: $199 – $299, depending on when you enter.
Entry Deadline: 2021 call for entries opens March 8, 2021. Final entry deadline is May 21, 2021.
Awards Announced: Individual category winners and finalists will be announced in summer 2021. The Content Marketing Project, Branded Content Campaign, Agency, and Content Marketer of the Year will be announced at a live awards ceremony during Content Marketing World 2021 (Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2021).
Marketing Inspiration: The ClearVoice Blog was a 2019 Content Marketing Award Finalist for Best Multi-Author Blog, and with additional nods for Best Blog Post in 2019 and 2020.
Design doesn’t work without written content. The Creativity International Awards allow you to show the creative collaboration of your entire content production team. Check out the film categories for demos, corporate, and sales videos. They also offer a Best Work Never Produced category to highlight your special piece of work that never saw the light of day.
Entry Cost: $50 – $165 for single unit and campaign / series entries. They have lower student fees and offer discounts for bulk entries.
Entry Deadline: September 24, 2021.
Awards Announced: 2021 TBA.
“Having our ‘big ideas’ recognized in this prestigious international competition gives small firms like ours the chance to shine.” Encompassing the spirit of the Davey Awards is Dawn Newsome, Owner of Moonlight Creative Group. This marketing awards program is exclusively for “the little guys.” If you’re a smaller agency or brand, go ahead and let your work shine, without getting lost in the shadows of bigger organizations.
Entry Cost: 2021 TBA. Fees from 2020’s cycle: Single Entry $155; Campaign Entry (including Web Campaigns) $245; Integrated Campaign $305; Marketing Effectiveness $305.
Entry Deadline: TBA, likely September 2021.
Awards Announced: TBA.
The Digiday Content Marketing Awards recognizes brands and agencies using content to modernize media and marketing. Categories go pretty deep into content territory, like: Best Use of Real-Time Streaming Video, Best User-Generated Content, and Best Interactive Content Piece or Series.
Entry Cost: $699
Entry Deadline: Final deadline Feb. 19, 2021.
Awards Announced: Shortlist announcement March 23, 2021.
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Think you’re one of the best marketers in the United States? The Drum Marketing Awards are for you. Judges evaluate your entry based on creative thinking, effectiveness, clear and concise results, and evidence of results (e.g. testimonials, financials.) So, make sure you have the data to back up your project submission.
Entry Cost: £295, but discounts for multiple entries submitted at the same time.
Entry Period: Entry deadline is March 31, 2021.
Awards Announced: TBA.Get ready to reach your true #marketing potential. From mainstream to the unexpected, the following marketing awards list will guide your pursuit. | #Content | #Branding Click To Tweet
The Hermes Creative Awards are open to anyone involved in producing marketing and communication materials. Their judging style is perhaps the most compelling reason to jump into the competition—entries are judged on creativity, not against other entrants in the category. In other words, your small brand isn’t compared to a Fortune 500 entrant.
Entry Cost: Single entries are $110 each. Campaigns, plans, apps are $1785 each. Work done pro bono is free if accompanied by a paid entry.
Entry Deadline: March 18, 2021.
Awards Announced: TBA, but likely in May 2021.
The James Beard Awards – None in 2021
Also known as “the Oscars of the food world,” you justifiably assumed the James Beard Awards only celebrated chefs and restaurants. Turns out, they have some content relevant awards as well in Journalism and Broadcast Media. For the latter category, any English-language TV, radio, documentary, or webcast show or segment on food, cooking, or gastronomy is eligible.
Special Note From the James Beard Foundation:
The Foundation has made the decision to forgo its traditional Awards presentation in 2021, including the Restaurant and Chef Awards, Media Awards, and Restaurant Design Awards. We will not be accepting recommendations or submission for the upcoming year. Throughout this next year, we will be working with the Awards Committee and Subcommittees to overhaul the policies and procedures for the Awards. The objectives are to remove any systemic bias, increase the diversity of the pool of candidates, maintain relevance, and align the Awards more outwardly with the Foundation’s values of equity, sustainability, and excellence for the restaurant industry.
Entry Cost: TBA
Entry Deadline: TBA
Awards Announced: TBA
Marketing Inspiration: James Beard Award 2019 Winner; Broadcast Media – Be a Girl Podcast by Copper & Heat
The bold name of this competition sets the tone for what they are seeking from entrants. The Killer Content Awards invites cutting-edge brands and agencies who are seriously innovating the content industry. From Packaged/Bundled Content to Multi-Touch Campaigns, as long as your content is transformative and engaging, you’re in the running for a Finny.
Entry Cost: TBA, but $149 – $249 previously.
Entry Period: 2021 nomination period will open soon. Check their site for more details. Deadline likely will be in October or November, but is TBA.
Awards Announced: TBA.
Every year approximately 6,000 print and digital entries are submitted from around the world. The MarCom Awards have been around since 2004, offering a competitive playground for hard-working creative professionals in marketing and communications. If you’re a non-profit organization—or an agency that performed work for a non-profit—you are not charged an entry fee.
Entry Cost: 2021 TBA. Fees previously were $95 per entry or $175 per campaign or plan.
Next Entry Period Opens: August 2021.
Awards Announced: TBA, likely in December 2021.
Marketing Inspiration: Our ClearVoice Blog was a 2019 Platinum Winner, the highest honor.
The Muse Creative Awards exists to honor creative professionals with a unique eye and a passion for their work…rather than a paycheck. Do you have a project that shows off how you perfected your craft? Are you pushing the envelope and taking creative risks? Then, go for it.
Entry Cost: $99-$190 depending on when you enter.
Entry Deadline: Final deadline is February 25, 2021.
Awards Announced: 2021 TBA, but likely in May.
The Webby’s were established in 1996, way back when the World Wide Web was in its infancy. The New York Times claims that winning a Webby is “the internet’s highest honor.” If your website, podcast, video, or social media campaign is the best thing on the internet…by all means, take a shot at the Webby Awards.
Entry Cost: $155-$625 depending on category and when you enter.
Entry Deadline: February 12, 2021.
Awards Announced: May 2021.
Earn your marketing awards every day with timely info to keep on top.
As a brand or agency, you want your creative work to matter. Pursuing marketing awards is an opportunity to both explore and share your accomplishments while gaining inspiration from other top-performing marketers. Whether you win or not, you’ll learn more about your marketing potential than you ever expected. Here are other calendars timely marketing info to keep on your radar:
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