Brussels, 3 June 2026: Entries are now open for the prestigious 2026 Effie Awards Europe, marking a special 30th anniversary edition and calling on the continent’s most effective marketing campaigns to step into the spotlight. Submit by 30 July for the first deadline or by 10 September for the final entry round. Winners will be revealed and celebrated at Effie Day in Brussels on 3 December.
This year’s awards are co-chaired by Julien Barraux, Chief Creative Officer at The Magnum Ice Cream Company, and Miriam Plon Sauer, Global Chief Strategy Officer at AKQA. Judging will take place in two rounds in September and October, with the in-person Grand Jury on 3 December in Brussels.
This year, Effie Europe has tailored the programme to reflect the evolving realities of marketing effectiveness, with updated categories designed to spotlight new opportunities, industry challenges, and recognise effectiveness in driving meaningful societal impact. Teams can submit campaigns across multi-market categories, recognising work that ran in two or more countries; Best of Europe, open to Gold and Grand Effie winners from local competitions as well as entries from countries without an Effie programme; and special categories that welcome both single-market and multi-market campaigns.
NEW IN 2026:
- New special categories: Civic Engagement & Democracy and Decades of Sustained Success (10+ years of long-term effectiveness), open to single & multi-market campaigns.
- New multi-market & Best of Europe categories: Restaurants, Business Achievement, Brand Content & Entertainment, Brand Integration & Partnerships and Retail Media.
- Beauty & Fragrance and Fashion & Accessories, previously under FMCG, are now separate categories.
- Positive Change Effies, Health Effectiveness Effie, and Influencer Marketing are open to single & multi-market campaigns.
A complete listing of this year’s categories can be found here.
Additionally, Effie Europe has created valuable new resources designed to guide and inspire you in crafting a standout entry.
- Effie Effectiveness Explained: a training giving exclusive tips and actionable insights on building a culture of effectiveness within your organisation. This practical training series shows you how to leverage the Effie framework to drive results, create standout entries, and boost your chances of winning.
- Effie Europe Support Assistant: a real-time, AI-powered assistant designed to help entrants navigate the awards process. It offers quick guidance on eligibility, submission requirements, categories, judging criteria, best practice examples, and more. Got a question?
- Effie Insights: page packed with case studies and research papers from award-winning campaigns.
The Effie Awards Europe are organised by the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) in partnership with Kantar (Strategic Insights Partner), Google (Programme Partner), REBORRN (Content Partner), ACT Responsible and the Ad Net Zero.
