Mozambique Makes a Big Debut with 1 Grand Prix and 4 Gold Wins
LAGOS, Nigeria — The Pitcher Awards, the pan‑African benchmark for creative excellence, has announced the winners of its 2026 edition, celebrating groundbreaking work from across the continent and beyond. This year marks a historic milestone as the festival welcomed entries from Mozambique and the United States of America for the very first time, underscoring its expanding global reach and commitment to celebrating creativity without borders.
Reflecting on this year’s achievements, Dr. Nnamdi Ndu, Chairman of
the Pitcher Festival, said:
_“The 2026 Pitcher Awards showcase the extraordinary evolution of
African creativity. This year’s winners demonstrate a boldness,
cultural depth, and technical mastery that continue to elevate our
region on the global stage. Welcoming new countries into the
competition—and seeing them excel—reinforces our belief that
creativity truly has no borders. We celebrate every winner and look
forward to an unforgettable 10th edition in 2027.”_
Gold and Grand Prix winners were unveiled during the official streaming
premiere, while all Shortlist, Bronze, and Silver recognitions are
available on the festival website.
2026 Grand Prix & Gold Winners
Grand Prix
- Culture – Corporate Image & Reputation Management — NoVita by The Bar Africa for NuVita Biscuits, Kenya
- Heritage – Outdoor Ambient & Installations — MozaMbique Has 2M by Create Mozambique for 2M Beer, Mozambique
Gold
- Care – Public Health & Safety — _La caravane d’excision – The FGM Caravan_ by L’Agence X for Mouvement femmes et paroles, Côte d’Ivoire
- Channel – Use of Media — _MozaMbique Has 2M_ by Create Mozambique for 2M Beer, Mozambique
- Culture – Corporate Image & Reputation Management — _Portrait of a Nation_ by Create Mozambique for Millennium Bim, Mozambique
- Culture – Use of Cultural Insights — _Maggi Tales of Ramadan_ by All Seasons Zenith for Maggi, Nestlé Nigeria
- Culture – Use of Cultural Insights — _NoVita_ by The Bar Africa for NuVita Biscuits, Kenya
- Culture – Use of Cultural Insights — _MozaMbique Has 2M_ by Create Mozambique for 2M Beer, Mozambique
- Entertainment – Entertainment Film — _First Beach_ by Dentsu Creative for Corona Africa, South Africa
- Effectiveness – Business Impact — _2M SAMMA FRESH_ by Create Mozambique for 2M Beer, Mozambique
- Heritage – Film — _The Origin of Wonder_ by Dentsu Creative Kenya for Magical Kenya, Kenya Tourism Board
- Heritage – Outdoor Activations — _BUSiness UNUSUAL_ by The Quollective for Kiira Motors Corporation, Uganda
- Heritage – Outdoor Ambient & Installations — _Martell on the Move_ by PHD Nigeria for Pernod Ricard, Nigeria
- Heritage – Print — _The Sun‑Powered Print Ad_ by Dentsu Creative South Africa for Corona Africa
Special Awards — 2026
- Digital Agency of the Year: digitXplus, Nigeria
- Media Agency of the Year: PHD Nigeria
- Advertising Agency of the Year: Create Mozambique
- Media Network of the Year: OMD
- Advertising Agency Network of the Year: Dentsu Africa
- Independent Network of the Year: The Quollective Africa
- Regional Holding Company of the Year: Omnicom Media Group
- Brand of the Year (National): 2M Beer Mozambique
- Brand of the Year (Multinational): Martell
- Marketing Company of the Year (National): Kiira Motors Corporation, Uganda
- Marketing Company of the Year (Multinational): AB InBev
Appreciation for the International Jury
The Pitcher Festival extends its deep appreciation to the international
jury, composed of industry leaders from across Africa and beyond, who
meticulously judged, curated, and benchmarked the 2026 entries. Their
expertise and dedication ensured that this year’s awards upheld the
highest standards of creative excellence.The category juries were led by the following Jury Presidents:
- Care — Kerstin Trikalitis, CEO & Co‑Founder, Out There Media
- Channel — Dozie Okafor, MD/CEO, PHD Nigeria & President, MIPAN
- Craft — Yash Deb, Co‑Founder & Creative Partner, The Bar Africa, Kenya
- Culture — Anand Badami, SVP & Growth Lead, Emerging Markets & Innovation, Publicis West Africa
- Digital — Karim Yermeche, CEO, Lotus Conseil, Algeria
- Good & Effectiveness — Dawn Rowlands, CEO, Dentsu Africa
- Entertainment — Steve Babaeko, CEO/CCO, X3M Ideas & Vice President, Area Director for Africa, IAA
- Heritage — Maxwell Ngari, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative East Africa
A Celebration of African Creativity
The 2026 edition once again highlighted the imagination, discipline, and
creative excellence shaping the future of African storytelling. Winning
entries will be featured globally as part of the Pitcher Showcase, the
festival’s traveling pop‑up exhibition.
As the Pitcher Awards prepares to celebrate its 10th edition in 2027,
the festival looks ahead to an even grander celebration of a decade of
creative excellence.
Explore all winners and recognized work at www.PitcherFestival.com [7]
or continue with more festival updates.
