NEW YORK — Jimmy Smith, chairman, CEO, and chief creative officer at branded content creation studio Amusement Park Entertainment, has been named as the 2026 AICP Next Awards judging chair. In this role, Smith has assembled a roster of jury presidents who will then select judges for all AICP Next Awards categories. In addition to the jury presidents, Smith also selected several curators-at-large, who will work with the jury presidents on the final winners of the AICP Next Awards and help select the Most Next Award (Best of Show).
“I’ve judged a ton of award shows, and I could be wrong about this, but I don’t know of another show where the word ‘next’ is part of the category title, or the name of the show, or where the award gets your work in a museum. It’s like Michael Jackson; he needs no introduction,” said Smith. “Similarly, the Next Awards need no introduction. You don’t need to explain it. It just is. It’s not what happened yesterday. It’s not what’s now. It’s always looking forward. It’s what’s next.”
One of the key responsibilities as the AICP Next Show judging chair is to help the full Curatorial Committee arrive at a consensus from a varied group of highly experienced colleagues he’s assembled, and how to review the judging results and present this year’s showcase of winners. However, for Smith, that’s the best part of the job.
“Getting a consensus is the most fun,” he said. “I’ve chosen a diverse group of judges, and hearing a variety of perspectives is what I encourage every day at Amusement Park Entertainment. I’m used to creatives seeing the world in a variety of different ways. It’s like going to Baskin-Robbins: not everyone is going to like chocolate or vanilla, and someone is going to like the weirdest flavor and want to get everyone to try it. That to me is the only way to live and work in the creative space. It’s the only way to land somewhere new and truly next.”
For Matt Miller, president and CEO of AICP, having Smith as judging chair for the Next Awards reflects the prominence that different platforms and media outlets are playing in today’s marketing landscape. Few professionals, Miller noted, have the experience Smith boasts, both in working with the world’s biggest brands and creating work from the traditional to the cutting edge.
“Jimmy’s career mirrors the very essence of the Next Awards,” Miller said. “Few creatives have a portfolio that reflects such a broad palette of genres, techniques, media platforms, and content formats. His deep fluency in modern brand communications makes him a standout pick for judging chair, and we’re excited to have him leading Next, having served as a curator for the past decade.”
The AICP Next Awards is much more than an awards competition; it’s also a platform for examining work through thought leadership and analysis. The entry deadline for the AICP Next Awards, along with the other competitions that comprise the AICP Awards–the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial and the AICP Post Awards–is March 11. Details can be found here.
A creative career rooted in culture:
Throughout his career, Smith has worked his magic in a variety of roles as an entrepreneur, environmentalist, creative director, author, video game creator, and producer of TV, film, and music content. His work has been recognized for its fresh advertising approaches and has been honored by no less than the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as Cannes Lions, The One Show, ANDYs, AICP, D&AD, LIA, Time Magazine, and the Clios.
In 2011, Smith launched Amusement Park Entertainment, a manufacturer of pioneering creative content, entertainment, and technologies, plus unique products and business models. In 2013, he appeared weekly as a judge on the VH1 reality series Model Employee, and in 2016, Amusement Park Music debuted its first hit single, the critically acclaimed “Bigger Than Us,” by Dame D.O.L.L.A. (aka, NBA All-Star Damian Lillard). Recent clients include the Harlem Globetrotters, Nike, Gatorade, Sprite, Louis Vuitton, Microsoft, Intel, and the NFL.
As a veteran of numerous judging sessions at some of the industry’s most prestigious competitions, Smith knows what he is looking for when it comes to groundbreaking work. “The Bible says nothing is new under the sun, so I’m looking for ideas that haven’t been done in at least the last 100 years.”
Acknowledging the importance of excellence in craft across all of the AICP Awards shows, Smith remains bullish on the future of advertising in all its forms, particularly as it relates to AI. “What concerns me most is that with AI in production companies, post houses, and agencies, they’ll lose the craft, because clients become too enamored with getting content so much faster,” said Smith. “But what excites me is that AI is like the automobile back in the day. Would you ever want to get rid of cars and go back to riding horses to get to work? Figuratively speaking, that’s what AI is going to do. It’s the car, the truck, the SUV, and it’s going to help creatives make even more dynamic and epic work.”
2026 AICP Next Awards jury presidents and curators-at-large:
Smith has assembled an all-star jury for the 2026 AICP Next Awards from a variety of backgrounds and spaces in the marketing ecosystem. The jury presidents for each category will select the judges for their respective categories.
The jury presidents are:
Bonin Bough, Founder, Portrait Media Group (Innovation)
Laurel Burton, CEO, Instrument (Digital Experiences)
Javier Castillo, Senior Creative Director, Fox Sports (Influencer)
Vincent Cook, Co-Founder/Chief Creative Officer, Ad Legends (Creative Commerce)
Jae Goodman, Co-Founder/CEO, Superconnector Studios (Branded Content & Entertainment)
Jayanta Jenkins, VP Creative (Integrated Campaign)
Reggieknow Jolley, Founder & Creative Director, FASHION FIGURE INC (Experiential)
Kaleeta McDade, Global Chief Experience Design Officer, VML (Creative Data)
Evelyn Neill, Group Creative Director, Apple (Web Film)
Nekeda Newell-Hall, Deputy CEO, External Relations, Shoes That Fit (Public Relations)
Sequel Smith, Creative Director, VaynerMedia (Social/Real Time Engagement)
Lewis Williams, Chief Creative Officer/Founder, Williams Creative Group Chicago (Purpose Driven)
Joining the jury presidents are curators-at-large. They’ll work with the jury presidents to determine the final disposition of the AICP Next Awards, as well as select the Most Next (Best of Show) honor.
This year’s curators-at-large include:
Scott Donaton, SVP – Global Brand & Community, Crunchyroll
Kerstin Emhoff, CEO, PRETTYBIRD/Ventureland
Rei Inamoto, Founding Partner, I&Co
Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer, Edelman
Margaret Johnson, Chief Creative Officer & Partner, Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Jeff Kling, Founder/Chief Creative Officer, Das Favorite
Nick Law, Creative Strategy & Experience Lead, Accenture Song
Allen Mask, Partner/Managing Partner, WestCap / CōLab
Tiffany Rolfe, Chair, Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA
David “Shingy” Shing, Digital Prophet
The call for entries for the AICP Next Awards is now open. To be eligible, work must have first aired or launched between March 5, 2025, and March 17, 2026. The results of each show will debut during AICP Week in New York, from June 2 to June 4, and be featured at a gala celebration at The Museum of Modern Art on June 4.
The work of the AICP Next Awards winners, along with that of the honorees of the AICP Show the AICP Post Awards, becomes a part of the archives of The Department of Film at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, where future generations can study it and is available for use or exhibition by the museum’s curators.
