The Advertising Club has announced several new categories and honours for the 57th edition of the ABBY Awards 2026, aiming to make the platform more inclusive, globally aligned and reflective of the evolving advertising and media landscape.

According to a press release from the organisers, the latest edition of the ABBY Awards will introduce new honours such as Creative Network of the Year, Media Network of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year. In a significant move towards greater client participation, the awards will also recognise Creative Client of the Year and Media Client of the Year, acknowledging brands that collectively secure the highest points across Creative and Media ABBY categories.

The Advertising Club stated that the changes have been introduced in collaboration with industry leaders, global jury members, agencies and creative professionals to ensure the awards remain internationally relevant and future-focused. The ABBY Awards continue their partnership with The One Club for Creativity and The One Show as part of this effort.

Keeping pace with global creative and digital trends, ABBY Awards 2026 has also introduced new Creative ABBY categories focused on Social Content & Influencer Marketing, along with Creative Commerce, Use of Data and B2B. These additions reflect the growing influence of technology, digital storytelling and data-driven creativity within modern advertising campaigns.

The awards platform has also restructured some of its earlier categories. Existing sections such as Green ABBY, Red ABBY and Diversity, Equality & Inclusivity have now been brought together under a unified Sustainable Development Goals category within Creative ABBY.

Speaking about the changes, Dheeraj Sinha, President of The Advertising Club and CEO of McCann India, described ABBY as India’s most definitive creative and media awards platform. He said the awards have undergone several upgrades this year, including the addition of new-age categories and the introduction of client-focused trophies that further strengthen industry participation.

Ajay Kakar, Chairperson of ABBY Awards 2026, said the evolving global nature of the advertising industry requires award benchmarks to continuously adapt. He added that the updated framework is designed to align the awards more closely with international creative standards.

In another notable development, trophies for winning entries in both Creative and Media ABBY categories will now be jointly presented to agencies and clients on stage, further recognising collaborative success within the industry.

The ABBY Awards 2026 Powered by The One Club | The One Show will be held during Goafest 2026 from May 20 to 22 in Goa.