The night before, they were finalists.
Now, the industry has spoken – and the names etched into Mediaweek’s Next of the Best honours are the ones you’ll want to remember, because chances are, you’ll be working for them one day.
Last night’s event celebrated the brand marketers, agency strategists, platform innovators, publishers and founders already doing the hard, unglamorous, genuinely impressive work of shaping where this industry goes next – and the full roll call of winners is exactly the kind of list worth bookmarking.
Next of the Best 2026 winners
Bryce Crosswell
Bryce Crosswell
Head of Digital Sales, Southern Cross Austereo / LiSTNR
Winner
Sales & Commercial
Judges recognised Bryce for his exceptional commercial leadership, measurable results across revenue and market share, and his passion for developing his team and energising the broader audio market.
Alexandra Hazlehurst
Alexandra Hazlehurst
Head of Narratv, Foxtel Media
Winner
Partnerships
Judges recognised Alexandra for her exceptional leadership in building Foxtel’s branded content business and uniting the organisation to launch Narratv and deliver high-impact commercial partnerships.
Megan Osborne
Megan Osborne
Editor at Better Homes and Gardens, Are Media
Winner
Brand & Growth
Judges recognised Megan for redefining brand strategy and empowering her team to deliver exceptional results across commercial growth, audience uplift and industry recognition.
Katherine Chatfield
Katherine Chatfield
Editor at Woman’s Day, Are Media
Winner
Publisher & Platform
Judges recognised Katherine for transforming Woman’s Day from a print institution into a thriving omnichannel brand, delivering outstanding results across audience growth, social engagement and commercial performance.
Jessica Bailey
Jessica Bailey
Editor-in-Chief, ELLE Australia, Are Media
Winner
Influence & Audience
Judges recognised Jessica for her creative and commercial leadership at ELLE, launching ELLE Man and the Next Gen Awards while generating $200K in incremental revenue within her first three months.
Jessica Roach
Jessica Roach
Head of Non-Endemic Advertising, Amazon Ads ANZ
Winner
Audio & Entertainment
Judges recognised Jessica for her industry-changing impact in digital audio, as demonstrated by clear data points that reflect significant leadership and results both internally and externally.
Kasey Jamieson
Kasey Jamieson
Head of Endemic Advertising, Amazon Ads ANZ
Winner
Retail & Commerce
Judges recognised Kasey for her sophisticated leadership in retail media, delivering excellent measurable outcomes by connecting creativity, commerce and data into integrated full-funnel solutions.
Amelia Healy
Amelia Healy
Global Director of Digital Product, JOLT
Winner
Product & Innovation
Judges recognised Amelia for her extraordinary product leadership at JOLT, delivering a compelling first-to-market achievement by integrating the Volta acquisition across three product streams and five global regions.
Randall Taylor
Randall Taylor
Senior Global Data & Strategy Manager, JOLT
Winner
Data & Insights
Judges recognised Randall for his exceptional data leadership at JOLT, where he used AI-powered optimisation to make digital out-of-home advertising more measurable and accountable.
Ben Walker
Ben Walker
CEO & Founder, Those That Do
Winner
Agency Creative
Judges recognised Ben for his bold entrepreneurial leadership, backing his creative vision with his own career and capital to build Those That Do into a thriving business.
Marco Villella
Marco Villella
Head of People & Talent, Havas Australia
Winner
People & Culture
Judges recognised Marco for stepping up through uncertainty to embed people and culture into commercial decision-making, delivering tangible results through new programs and partnerships.
Kym Treasure
Kym Treasure
CEO & Founder, Audacia Audio
Winner
Entrepreneur
Judges recognised Kym for her entrepreneurial vision and execution in building a genuinely impressive product that stood out for its quality, innovation and commercial potential.
Katherine Pochroj
Katherine Pochroj
Head of Investment, Sydney, EssenceMediacom
Winner
Agency Media
Judges recognised Katherine for securing $100M+ in new business, achieving Sydney’s number one Holdco ranking, and driving meaningful social impact through her partnership with Dolly’s Dream.
Abigail Thomas
Abigail Thomas
Head of Sustainability, SBS
Winner
Sustainability & Purpose
Judges recognised Abigail for delivering industry-first sustainability milestones at SBS with measurable impact that drove meaningful change across the broader Australian media industry.
Sarina Andaloro
Sarina Andaloro
NSW Political Editor, 7News Sydney
Winner
Nws & Journalism
Judges recognised Sarina for her outstanding agenda-setting journalism at 7News, breaking major investigations that forced government response and shaped coverage across multiple outlets.
Danielle Galipienzo
Danielle Galipienzo
Group Business Director & Head of Impact, Initiative
Winner
Change Maker
Judges recognised Danielle for turning purpose-led media into a scalable system that delivered measurable commercial and societal impact, including $20M+ in pro bono outcomes, while shifting industry standards from the ground up.