Who made the cut? Meet the finalists of Agency of the Year and MARKies Awards Malaysia 2026

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE is pleased to announce the finalists for the 18th Agency of the Year and MARKies Awards Malaysia 2026, one of the country’s most established platforms recognising excellence in agency performance and marketing creativity.

Now in its 18th edition, the annual awards continue to spotlight the agencies, brands, and campaigns that are shaping Malaysia’s marketing landscape through bold ideas, strategic thinking, and impactful execution.

This year’s programme features 35 Agency of the Year categories and 50 MARKies categories, including two new additions – ‘Integrated Communications Agency of the Year’ and ‘Sustainability Communications Agency of the Year’ that reflect the evolving priorities and direction of the industry. The 2026 finalists represent the strength and diversity of Malaysia’s marketing community, with work spanning creative innovation, media excellence, and effective brand storytelling.

As per tradition, the five highest-scoring agencies in the Agency of the Year Awards will compete for the Overall Agency of the Year title. At the MARKies Awards, agencies will battle across the Creative Ideas and Media Usage segments for the Overall Creative Ideas MARKie and Overall Media Usage MARKie honours.

This year’s judging panel comprised 29 seasoned marketing leaders, each bringing significant experience and industry insight to the evaluation process, ensuring that only the most deserving campaigns progressed to the finalist stage through a rigorous assessment.

This year’s strongest entries demonstrated that creativity must go beyond memorability to deliver real impact. As Hazel Lim, director of marketing communications at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, noted, creativity was most powerful when it was used to solve real business challenges rather than simply generate attention.

“The strongest submissions were grounded in genuine audience insights, had clear strategic intent, and demonstrated a strong link between idea, execution, and results,” she said.

Across the board, judges observed a continued uplift in quality and execution. Jayson Ong, head of brand & channel marketing at Sharp Electronics Malaysia, said the entries reflected the industry’s rising standards.

“This year’s entries stood out for their creativity, strong results, and memorable ideas, reflecting the industry’s continuously improving standards,” he said.

The high standard of work also made judging particularly challenging. Huey Ying Leong, head of marketing at Burger King Malaysia, described a fiercely competitive field.

“The calibre of entries made it a very tough year to judge. It was inspiring to see creativity and business results working so well together, but there were so many standout submissions that it felt like they were all competing for the top spot,” she said.

Judges were also impressed by campaigns that fostered deeper audience participation and engagement. Gavin Dang, head of digital at University of Nottingham Malaysia, noted that the strongest work recognised the importance of building communities rather than simply broadcasting messages.

“Several entries stood out for turning passive audiences into active communities. From fandoms and youth platforms to social-first experiences, these campaigns understood that modern marketing works best when people feel invited into the idea,” he said.

Beyond creativity alone, judges highlighted the importance of clarity and commercial focus. Andrew Pinto, vice president of brand & marketing at Unifi (Telekom Malaysia), said the best campaigns were defined by purpose and discipline.

“The best campaigns this year showed that great marketing is not about making noise, but about creating momentum. The strongest submissions were built on clear business challenges, sharp consumer insights, and the ability to turn creativity into measurable impact,” he said.

That sentiment was echoed by Debra Deyvitah, head of marketing, foods at PepsiCo Malaysia, who pointed to sharper thinking behind the work.

“The best entries showed that great marketing isn’t about bigger ideas, but sharper ones that solve real consumer needs and drive meaningful business results,” she said.

Meanwhile, Nachiappan M.T. Arasu, VP of marketing at Express Rail Link, said the entries reflected a more mature and data-driven industry landscape.

“The calibre of entries across AOTY and MARKies this year showed a marketing industry that is sharper, braver, and far more data-savvy. Beyond catchy taglines and viral ambitions, many entries demonstrated strong consumer insight and clear commercial impact,” he said. He added that the overall standard underscored a strong balance between creativity and effectiveness in today’s increasingly competitive market.

The winners will take centre stage at a dazzling gala dinner and celebration on 16 July 2026 at the Grand Ballroom, Le Meridien PJ.

Curious to see who’s made the cut? Click here to view the full list of Agency of the Year and MARKies Awards Malaysia 2026 finalists.

For gala packages, speak to our project managers for more info:

Mohanesh Kumar
Senior Regional Project Manager
Tel: +65 6692 9031 Ext 230
Mobile: +65 9895 3365 / +60169077693
Email: mohaneshk@marketing-interactive.com

Abigael Ayerdi
Regional Project Manager
Tel: +65 6692 9031 Ext 814
Mobile: +63 9614187758
Email: abigaela@marketing-interactive.com

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