The Gerety VIP Diamond BBQ once again brought together past and present
jury members, agency leaders, creatives, brand executives and friends
from the Gerety community to celebrate the 2026 shortlist in Cannes.
Held at the Gerety Villa overlooking the French Riviera, the annual
gathering provided an opportunity for guests from around the world to
reconnect, celebrate the shortlisted work and continue the conversations
that began during this year’s judging sessions. Great food, music and a
relaxed atmosphere once again made the event one of the most anticipated
gatherings of the week. Check out the wrap-up film of the party here [8]
The Gerety VIP Diamond BBQ and shortlist celebration was made possible
thanks to Tantor Films and the support of Mastercard, SheSays, Insider
Latam and The Experience Lab.
Before the BBQ, Gerety Awards had the chance to have a chat with Grand
Jury member Polina Vidas, Head of Marketing and Communications Bulgaria
at Mastercard. Watch the interview here. [9]
As has become a tradition, guests received the symbolic brooch inspired
by Frances Gerety, the copywriter who coined the iconic slogan “A
Diamond is Forever,” celebrating the award’s namesake and the spirit of
creativity and originality that defines the competition.
This year’s Awards featured more than 260 judges from over 50 countries,
with executive jury sessions taking place across 15 locations worldwide.
The highest-scoring campaigns selected by the juries were celebrated
throughout the week, with many agencies and creative teams hosting
internal screenings of the Gerety Shortlist Reel with some of the top
rated work.
Ingrid Bragemann, founder and partner at Tantor Films [10]and Tusk
Content, shared the following message with guests:
“We all know that things are changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence
and virtual worlds are becoming more present in every aspect of our
lives. We do not deny progress — in fact, we embrace it — but as a
production company working for people, and as developers and mentors of
young talent, we believe it is vital to keep communities connected and
protect what is truly essential: the human essence behind creativity.
Today more than ever, we are committed to promoting the spirit of unity
and joy that defines us.”
A special moment of this year’s celebration came from Deborah Mayer,
founder of Iron Dames, owner of Cannes Stars and Iron Lynx Motorsport
Lab, and majority shareholder of PREMA Racing, who addressed the guests.
Speaking to international agency leaders, brand executives and creative
decision-makers gathered as part of the Gerety Awards celebration, Mayer
shared her vision behind Iron Dames and her perspective on leadership,
opportunity and creating lasting change.
As the only woman leading companies at the highest level of
international motorsport, she spoke about becoming a “Builder of
Possibility” — turning passion into purpose, challenging accepted
assumptions, creating opportunities before success is visible and making
the path wider for those who come next.
“I never believed women needed different standards. They just deserved
the same opportunity to meet them. And when women are given the chance,
they do not simply participate. They win. They lead. They inspire. You
do not force excellence. You create the conditions in which excellence
can emerge.”
Her message strongly resonated with the Gerety community and reflected
many of the values that have shaped the awards since their inception:
creating opportunity, championing original thinking and celebrating
excellence from different perspectives.
Beyond motorsport, Iron Dames continues to champion female talent and
leadership across multiple disciplines, demonstrating how purpose-driven
initiatives can create meaningful and lasting impact both within and
beyond sport. Deborah joined the event thanks to Heather Heller, Founder
of The Experience Lab, an experiential and content platform designed to
create culturally relevant, data-driven environments where brands,
athletes, and audiences connect in meaningful ways, with the shared goal
of bringing to life human experiences and human connections.
The Gerety Awards continue to provide a global platform for the world’s
most original creative work, judged according to: the originality of the
idea and the quality of its execution.
To find out more about the conversations behind this year’s selected
work, the Gerety Jury Insight panels can be watched on demand [11],
featuring judges and jury presidents from around the world discussing
the ideas, debates and perspectives that shaped the 2026 shortlist.
See the full shortlist at www.geretyawards.com [12]
About The Gerety Awards
Named for Frances Gerety, the copywriter who in 1948 coined the slogan
“A diamond is forever”.
The Gerety Awards brings together a jury to select the best in
advertising from a powerful perspective, creating a benchmark that is
relevant to the market reality, all while redefining the standard to
which advertising has traditionally been held.
GERETY TALKS: Just like the award show, the Gerety Talks series puts
some of the marketing
and creative industries true changemakers in the spotlight and at the
center of the conversation for a refreshing take on what leadership
looks like. Weekly episodes at [12]https://www.geretyawards.com/talks
