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2026 MFA Awards Finalists Announced; BMW, Diageo, Medibank Among Contenders

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The Media Federation of Australia (MFA) has announced the finalists for its 2026 Awards. The winners will be revealed at a gala on 24 September. Campaigns for BMW, Diageo, Medibank, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Unilever, and state and federal government clients are among the finalists.

Judging Process

Finalists were selected by a 120-person judging panel, 50% of whom are client-side chief marketing officers. The panel has a collective 1,692 years of industry experience. Winners were determined by silent vote; results will remain undisclosed until the gala.

In-person judging was reintroduced this year, which co-chairs and judges said improved deliberation quality.

Notable Finalists

Multiple nominations were earned by:

  • Mindshare & Motion Entertainment by WPP for Unilever's Rexona RIVALS campaign (Business Impact, Best Integrated Campaign, Best Use of Screens, Partnership Award)
  • Clemenger BBDO for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood's Lifeblood Blood Supply campaign (Behaviour Change, Best Integrated Campaign, Best Use of Outdoor)

Additional Awards

At the gala, the MFA Awards Grand Prix (presented by Seven), Hall of Fame inductee, Industry Contributor, and NGEN Award winners will also be announced.

Finalist List by Category

Outcomes

  • Behaviour Change: Clemenger BBDO (Lifeblood Blood Supply, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood); dentsu (Medibank's Family Roast, Medibank); EssenceMediacom (Bincoin, Containers for Change); Uber Advertising & Atomic 212 (Test Rides, BMW Group Australia)

  • Brand Impact: dentsu (Medibank's Family Roast); EssenceMediacom and Seven Network (Google AI Finds its Voice, Google)

  • Business Impact: EssenceMediacom (Tooheys Muster, Lion); Mindshare & Motion Entertainment (Rexona RIVALS, Unilever); OMD (McCafé and Little Treats, McDonald’s); Performics (Bank of Queenslanders, Bank of Queensland); Wavemaker (La Roche-Posay Anthelios, L’Oréal)

  • Data-Led Activation: Hearts & Science (Data That Decides, Diageo); Spark Foundry (Winning When There’s Less to Sell, Royal Caribbean)

Execution

  • Best Content Amplification Strategy: dentsu WA & SCA (Cop Week: Behind the Badge, Western Australia Police Force)

  • Best Integrated Campaign: Clemenger BBDO (Lifeblood Blood Supply); Mindshare & Motion Entertainment (Rexona RIVALS); OM United (Nissan Patrol: It’s Out There. Quite Literally, Nissan); UM (STIs: Make STI Testing Your Beforeplay, Australian Government)

  • Best Use of Small Budget (<$500K): EssenceMediacom (Tooheys Muster, Lion); Hearts & Science (Data That Decides, Diageo); OMD (The Mystery of the Missing Golden Slipper, Australian Turf Club); UM (RSV Maternal Vaccination, Australian Government)

  • ESG Campaign: dentsu (Medibank's Family Roast); Spark Foundry (Iconic Lipstick. Real Impact, Revlon)

  • Partnership Award: dentsu (Medibank's Family Roast); Mindshare & Motion Entertainment (Rexona RIVALS); OMD (Macca’s AFL Happy Meal – Play on!, McDonald’s Australia); PHD Media & OM Content (AFLW wX, AFL)

Channel Excellence

  • Best Use of Audio: UM (The Sound of Solidarity: Canteen’s Bandanna Day, Canteen); Wavemaker (YSL Beauty Loveshine: Love Game, L’Oréal); Wavemaker (Seat Belters: Remixing Road Safety, Allianz)

  • Best Use of Creators/Influencers: EssenceMediacom (Badge vs Buttons, Queensland Police Services – Recruitment)

  • Best Use of Events and Experiential: dentsu (eBay Australia at the Cutting Edge of the Circular Economy); Uber Advertising & Atomic 212 (Test Rides, BMW); Wavemaker (The Audible Express, Audible)

  • Best Use of Outdoor: Clemenger BBDO (Lifeblood Blood Supply); Mindshare (Bowled Out!, IKEA); Mindshare (Hero the Bits Beyond the Pits, Unilever)

  • Best Use of Retailer Owned Media: EssenceMediacom (Dine Cat Decoder, Mars); Uber Advertising (Grab & Go, BWS)

  • Best Use of Screens: EssenceMediacom (Livewire & Special, Backseat Arcade, Uber); Mindshare (Surviving Bad Sleep, IKEA); Mindshare & Motion Entertainment (Rexona RIVALS)

  • Best Use of Search: Avenue C (When Infrastructure Meets Intelligence, KitchenAid); dentsu X (The Hardest Search Problem is a Human One, Charles Sturt University); dentsu (Filling Up University Lectures with Value-Based Search, University of New England); Meaningful Agency (Better Results, Better Futures, Matrix Education)

  • Best Use of Social: EssenceMediacom (Democracy Sauce, Mars); OMD (Reaction Time: Turning Social Media into a Road Safety Tool, NSW Government)

People, Planet & Culture

  • Agency Talent & Culture (<100): Avenue C, Match & Wood, PMG, This Is Flow

  • Agency Talent & Culture (>100): Sparro x BrainLabs, WPP Media, Zenith Media

  • Pro Bono/Cause Marketing Incentive: Avenue C (Show We Care, MND Australia); dentsu (A Better 10th Birthday, Raise the Age NSW)