MADDYS 2026 Welcomes Advertising Icons To Lead Prestigious Jury Panels

The advertising world thrives on bold ideas, sharp storytelling, and a little creative madness. Celebrating exactly that spirit, the Advertising Club Madras has announced the jury chairs for the much anticipated MADDYS 2026, setting the stage for another exciting edition of the iconic advertising awards.

The MADDYS, now in their 44th edition, are among the most respected creative award platforms in India. Over the years, the awards have become a benchmark for recognising innovative campaigns across media, design, film, and digital storytelling. With the announcement of the jury chairs, the organisers have once again signaled their commitment to maintaining the credibility and creative excellence the awards are known for.

For the upcoming edition, the club has brought together some of the most experienced voices from the advertising industry. Agnello Dias, co founder of Spinach Experience Design, will chair the Film and Audio Craft MADDYS, bringing his extensive experience in storytelling and creative leadership to the category. Known for shaping some of the most memorable advertising campaigns in India, Dias’s presence ensures that the craft and impact of audio visual storytelling will be carefully evaluated.

Joining him is Preeti Vyas, founder and chief creative officer of Vyas Giannetti Creative, who will head the Design and Print Craft MADDYS category. Vyas has long been recognized for her expertise in brand identity and design thinking, making her an ideal choice to evaluate work that relies heavily on visual storytelling and creative execution.

Completing the latest set of jury announcements is Rajesh Ramaswamy, widely known in the industry as RamSam. Founder of The Script Room and filmmaker at Coconut Films, Ramaswamy will chair the Regional Pride Tamil MADDYS, a category dedicated to celebrating exceptional advertising created in the Tamil language.

These appointments add to the previously announced jury chairs across other categories. The broader jury leadership includes experts overseeing the Creative, Digital, and Media MADDYS, ensuring that every discipline of modern advertising receives focused attention during the judging process.

The awards themselves are structured across six major groups. These include Creative MADDYS, Design and Print Craft MADDYS, Film and Audio Craft MADDYS, Regional Pride Tamil MADDYS, Digital MADDYS, and Media MADDYS. Each category reflects the evolving nature of the advertising industry, where creativity now spans multiple platforms and formats.

One of the defining aspects of the MADDYS is their ability to balance national creativity with regional storytelling. While many advertising awards focus purely on large scale campaigns, the MADDYS also celebrate culturally rooted work that resonates with regional audiences. The Regional Pride Tamil category, for instance, acknowledges how language and culture continue to shape powerful brand narratives.

The Advertising Club Madras has consistently emphasized that strong juries are the backbone of credible awards. By selecting respected industry leaders to head each panel, the organisers aim to ensure that every entry is judged with both expertise and fairness. These jury chairs will guide their respective panels in evaluating creativity, strategic thinking, execution, and impact.

Entries for MADDYS 2026 are open to advertising, media, and marketing professionals from across India as well as international participants. Campaigns released between April 2025 and March 2026 are eligible to participate.

As agencies prepare their submissions, the awards promise to showcase the best work emerging from the industry. From thought provoking campaigns to visually stunning storytelling, the competition is expected to highlight how creativity continues to evolve in a rapidly changing media landscape.

With seasoned leaders guiding the judging process and agencies ready to present their finest work, MADDYS 2026 is shaping up to be another memorable celebration of advertising brilliance. After all, in an industry powered by ideas, recognition from peers often becomes the ultimate creative reward.