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
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.
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 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, 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
