Spikes Asia 2026 Jury Revealed: 10 Australian Leaders to Shape APAC's Creative Future

Spikes Asia 2026 Jury Announced with Strong Australian Representation

Spikes Asia, one of the most prestigious awards for creativity and marketing effectiveness in the APAC region, has unveiled its 2026 Jury line-up. These industry leaders will set the benchmark for creative excellence across Asia-Pacific.

Australian Jury Members Take Center Stage

Ten Australian professionals have been selected as jury members across various categories:

• Creative Data, Innovation – Maurice Riley (Chief Data Officer, Publicis Groupe, ANZ) – Jury President
• Digital Craft, Social & Creator – Barbara Humphries (Chief Creative Officer, Droga5 ANZ) – Jury President
• Audio & Radio, Film, Print & Publishing – Mandie Van der Merwe (Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, Australia)
• Creative B2B – Ant Melder (Creative Partner, Cocogun, Australia)
• Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy – Hannah McHard (Head of Effectiveness, BMF, Australia)
• Design, Industry Craft – Kevin Wilson (Creative Director, Nani Creative, Australia)
• Direct, Outdoor – Richard Williams (Group Executive Creative Director, VML, Australia)
• Healthcare – Sharon Howard-Butler (Creative Partner, Omnicom Health, Australia)
• Media – Sian Whitnall (CEO, OMD, Australia)
• PR – Jon Austin (Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Supermassive, Australia)

Regional Diversity and First-Time Participants

This year marks the highest representation from Central Asia, with jury members from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan made headlines at the 2025 Spikes Asia Awards by securing its first-ever Grands Prix for both Media and Music Spikes.

Brands making their debut in the awards include: Boost Holdings, FairPrice Group, Godrej Consumer Products, Hyundai, LEGO, OPPO and Samsung.

Leadership Perspectives

Melanie Speet, Director of Spikes Asia, emphasized the jury's importance: "The Jury is at the heart of Spikes Asia. Each Juror brings unparalleled expertise and a deep understanding of creativity’s role in driving business growth. Their insights will ensure that the work celebrated truly reflects the best of APAC’s creative industry."

Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, added: "This year’s Jury line-up demonstrates the crucial role creativity plays in delivering measurable business impact. By recognising work that drives growth, engagement and brand value, Spikes Asia continues to highlight how innovative ideas translate into real results for businesses across APAC."

Complete Jury Composition

The full Spikes Asia 2026 juries span multiple categories with leaders from across the region:

• Audio & Radio, Film, Print & Publishing – Reed Collins (Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, APAC) and seven other regional leaders
• Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Commerce – Lisa Fedyszyn (Chief Creative Officer, Special, New Zealand) and six other experts
• Creative B2B – Wendy Walker (VP and Chief Marketing Officer, Salesforce, ASEAN) and five other professionals
• Creative Data, Innovation – Maurice Riley (Chief Data Officer, Publicis Groupe, ANZ) and six other innovators
• Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy – Shilpa Sinha (Chief Strategy Officer, McCann Worldgroup, APAC) and six other strategists
• Design, Industry Craft – Atiya Zaidi (CEO and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO, Pakistan) and six other design leaders
• Digital Craft, Social & Creator – Barbara Humphries (Chief Creative Officer, Droga5 ANZ) and seven other digital experts
• Direct, Outdoor – Anupama Ramaswamy (Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Creative, India) and seven other directors
• Entertainment, Gaming, Music – Britney Pai (Head of Entertainment, dentsu, Greater North Asia) and six other entertainment specialists
• Film Craft – Wuthisak Anarnkaporn (Film Director and Founder, Factory01, Thailand) and six other film professionals
• Healthcare – Rohini Miglani (Former VP at P&G, Asia, Middle East, Africa and India) and six other healthcare experts
• Media – Josh Gallagher (Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, WPP Media, APMEA) and six other media leaders
• PR – Tomoko Tagami (Founder and CEO, Synasia, Japan) and six other PR professionals

Submission Details

Entries for Spikes Asia 2026 are being accepted until Thursday 29 January 2026. Further information about the awards can be found at www.spikes.asia.