A new global awards show is making its pitch to reshape how the ad industry thinks about creative excellence in the age of AI – and this time, the spotlight isn’t on legacy networks, but on the creators, innovators and AI-first studios reshaping the craft at speed.
The AARON Awards, positioned as the world’s first dedicated AI creator awards for advertising, have officially opened for entries, promising to fill the widening gap between traditional award categories and the new generation of talent building brands with machine intelligence at the centre rather than the sidelines.
While industry shows have bolted on AI sub-categories and global AI festivals continue to reward experimental films, the AARON Awards deliberately shift the frame: commercial outcomes first, speculative work second.
“AARON isn’t about adding an AI checkbox to existing categories, it’s the first awards program that puts AI creators at the centre of the advertising industry,” said Vinne Schifferstein, Co-Founder of the AARON Awards.
“We’re here to celebrate work that uses AI with purpose and craft. Commercial creativity matters; solving a real brief is a different skill entirely.”
Schifferstein adds that regions like Asia are already producing standout AI talent, while Australia – with its established creative pedigree – is poised to use AI as “a launchpad, not a shortcut.”
Curator Marie-Celine Merret says the awards reflect where innovation is actually happening: “The most inventive work in AI isn’t coming from large networks, it’s coming from creators and AI-first studios. AARON celebrates them, the makers building new pipelines, new worlds and new forms of storytelling.”
Craft over ‘AI slop’
The organisers are clear: this is not an awards program for low-effort content or high-volume outputs. Its judging principles counter the industry’s growing fears around “AI slop” – a glut of work with more prompts than craft.
Named after AARON, the pioneering AI art system developed by Harold Cohen, the awards set the expectation that AI should elevate creativity rather than overwhelm it.
To reinforce this, the speculative ads category is separated from commercial entries – a nod to the industry distinction between experimentation and genuine brand impact.
A global jury and a clear timeline
The inaugural AARON jury brings together a cross-section of creatives at the intersection of advertising, technology and next-wave production pipelines.
Jurors include Wesley ter Haar (Monks), Rory Flynn, Arlyn Panopio (Envato), Craig Elimeliah (Code and Theory), Jo Wallace (Jellyfish), Chrissie Cremers (Aigency Amsterdam), Rogier Vijverberg (Superheroes), Blair Vermette (Rabbithole), Hugo Barbero (HumAInmade) and Henry Daubrez (Google).
Key entry dates:
Early deadline: 31 January 2026
Final deadline: 15 February 2026
Show date: April 2026
Winning work will also screen globally through an affiliation with the OMNI International AI Film Festival.
Entries are open now at aaronawards.com