The finalists are in for Marketing Excellence Awards Singapore 2026

The finalists for the 15th Annual Marketing Excellence Awards Singapore have been announced, with brands and agencies going head-to-head across 48 categories spanning the breadth of marketing.

This year’s competition sees the introduction of two new categories: ‘Excellence in Purpose-Driven Community Engagement’, recognising brands turning purpose into action and building stronger ties with their communities, and ‘Excellence in Tech-Driven Marketing’, spotlighting marketers using emerging technologies to create more relevant and effective customer experiences.

Finalists will compete for gold, silver and bronze across the categories, as well as the coveted Marketer of the Year title.

See the full finalist list here.

An independent panel of 30 senior marketers assessed this year’s entries, with judges pointing to the quality of strategic thinking, accountability and business impact behind the work.

For Jaslyn Lam, director of marketing and food innovation at KFC Singapore, the standout entries were those that showed the “courage to challenge convention”, while remaining relevant to consumers and turning insights into ideas that people genuinely care about.

Joanne Wang, group head of marketing at Timezone Group International, similarly noted a shift towards greater accountability, with the strongest work not necessarily coming from the biggest budgets.

Instead, she highlighted entries that started with a clear business challenge.

“Great marketing is not just about being seen,” she said. “It is about creating measurable impact and moving the business forward.”

Timothy Chong, head – digital growth, media & martech at Standard Chartered Bank, also highlighted work that went beyond the strength of the creative idea, pointing to campaigns that used data, insights and technology to tackle meaningful problems, engage audiences, shift behaviours and deliver business results.

Meanwhile, Michelle Tay, executive director at Singapore Kindness Movement, was struck by the strategic thinking behind this year’s entries. Among the submissions, she highlighted brands that used milestones not simply as moments to celebrate, but as springboards for future growth, pairing clear strategic intent with compelling storytelling and purpose-led experiences.

With the finalists now revealed, attention turns to the winners, who will be unveiled on 1 October at Ritz-Carlton Singapore.

For table bookings and award packages, please contact our project managers:

Mohanesh Kumar
Senior Regional Project Manager
Tel: +65 6692 9031 Ext 230
Mobile: +65 9895 3365
mohaneshk@marketing-interactive.com

Leshka De Leon

Regional Project Manager

Tel: +65 6692 9031 Ext 816

Mobile: +63 962 668 6030

leshkadl@marketing-interactive.com

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