Nigeria’s advertising industry recorded a major milestone at the 2026 Pitcher Awards as leading agencies PHD Nigeria, DigitXplus and All Seasons Zenith secured top honours at Africa’s premier celebration of creativity, marketing and media excellence.
The annual awards, which recognise outstanding campaigns and agencies across the continent, highlighted the growing influence of Nigerian creativity on the African marketing landscape. This year’s edition also reflected the expanding reach of the competition, with entries received from new markets including Mozambique and the United States.
PHD Nigeria emerged as one of the biggest winners of the night after claiming the prestigious Media Agency of the Year title. The agency further strengthened its dominance by earning a Gold award in the Heritage category for Outdoor Ambient and Installations through its “Martell On The Move” campaign for Pernod Ricard Nigeria. The campaign was recognised for delivering a distinctive brand experience that connected strongly with consumers.
Brandspur Brand News reports that DigitXplus also delivered an impressive performance, securing the coveted Digital Agency of the Year award in recognition of its innovative digital campaigns and contribution to the evolution of marketing communications in Africa. All Seasons Zenith joined the list of Nigerian winners after taking Gold in the Culture category for Use of Cultural Insights with its “Maggi Tales Of Ramadan” campaign created for Nestlé Nigeria’s Maggi brand.
Beyond Nigeria, Mozambique emerged as one of the standout performers at the awards. Create Mozambique was named Advertising Agency of the Year after winning multiple honours, including Gold awards for its “MozaMbique Has 2M” campaign for 2M Beer and “Portrait Of A Nation” campaign for Millennium BIM. The agency’s success culminated in winning one of the festival’s highest distinctions, the Grand Prix in the Heritage category.
Other notable winners included The Bar Africa Kenya, Dentsu Creative South Africa, Dentsu Creative Kenya, The Quollective Africa and L’Agence X Côte d’Ivoire, reflecting the diversity and growing sophistication of creative work across the continent.
Speaking on the significance of the awards, Pitcher Festival Chairman, Dr. Nnamdi Ndu, said the 2026 edition demonstrated the continued rise of African creativity, cultural storytelling and innovation, while reinforcing the continent’s increasing recognition on the global creative stage.
