Nigeria dominates Pitcher Awards 2026 shortlist, Dentsu Creative SA recognised

Dentsu Creative South Africa has been shortlisted by the Pitcher Awards, landing multiple shortlist mentions for Corona Africa’s First Beach campaign. The work was recognised across the Print, Entertainment Film and Culture categories as the pan-African festival unveiled its 2026 shortlist celebrating creative excellence from across the continent.

Dentsu SA is on the shortlist for its First Beach campaign for Corona. Source: YouTube.

Nigeria dominates

Nigeria emerged as the most prominent country on the 2026 Pitcher Awards shortlist, dominating categories across media, digital, entertainment, craft and heritage.

Agencies including PHD Nigeria, Mediareach OMD, X3M Ideas, JT Agency and digitXplus secured widespread recognition for campaigns spanning brands such as Martell, Guinness, Indomie, DStv and Hennessy.

Kenya also delivered a strong showing through agencies including The Quollective and Dentsu Creative Kenya, while Ghana, Mozambique, Algeria, Senegal and Ivory Coast all featured across multiple categories.

The Pitcher Awards 2026 unveils dynamic jury

14 Apr 2026

New entries

The Pitcher Awards 2026 said it has received entries from Mozambique and the United States of America for the first time, marking a significant expansion of the platform and reinforcing its commitment to celebrating creativity without borders.

Gold and Grand Prix winners of the 2026 Pitcher Awards will be announced during the Pitcher Awards Show Streaming Premiere on 30 May at 5:00pm WAT. The full list of winners will be published on the Pitcher Festival website immediately after the broadcast. Viewers will also be treated to live conversations with winning teams, offering an intimate look into the ideas, craft and thinking behind this year’s standout work.