D&AD has announced the winners of the D&AD Awards 2026, with India securing six Pencils and 11 shortlist mentions across categories spanning creator content, experiential, graphic design, posters, packaging and writing for design.
This year’s edition received entries from 89 countries, the highest in the awards’ history, with over 50,000 pieces of work submitted across 46 categories. In total, 573 Pencils were awarded globally. The awards also recorded a 49% growth in entries across the Culture discipline.
Among the Indian winners, BBH India won a Wood Pencil in the Creator Content category for the “Bassi vs Garnier Men Facewash” campaign created for Garnier Men.
Leo Mumbai secured a Wood Pencil in the Experiential: Activation & Participation category for the “Tailor Test” activation developed for ACKO General Insurance.
Famous Innovations won a Wood Pencil in the Graphic Design category for “Seven Layers of Truth,” while Contract Advertising India picked up a Graphite Pencil in the Posters category for “Find Your Way” created for MINI.
In the Packaging Design category, Butterfly Cannon won for “Godawan 173. Crafting Rarity. Preserving Life.” developed for Diageo India.
Meanwhile, VML India earned recognition in the Writing for Design category for “The Kolhapuri,” created for Kalapuri.
Globally, the D&AD Awards 2026 awarded two White Pencils, 52 Yellow Pencils, 149 Graphite Pencils, 368 Wood Pencils and two Future Impact Pencils, while 557 entries were shortlisted.
Lisa Smith, D&AD President and Uncommon Global Chief Design Officer, says: “What stood out most was the sheer creative bravery and excellence on display. Across disciplines we saw teams pushing into genuinely new territory, from storytelling and traditional craft to emerging technologies and new forms of expression. Creativity is very much alive and the work that won did so because it moved the standard of creative excellence forward.”
