BARCELONA — In advance of this year’s call for entries in May, the Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) announced a significant change in its prestigious ADCE Awards, which will now be open to all entrants in 34 leading awards shows across the continent.

Previously open only to winners and shortlisted works in competitions run by ADCE’s 25 member clubs and select non-member organisations, the annual ADCE Awards will now be open to anyone who enters those member club competitions, as well as to all entrants in nine additional non-member competitions in Europe.

The complete list of 34 eligible ADCE member and non-member competitions can be viewed here.

The new entry guidelines make the ADCE competition more inclusive and accessible to more creatives across the continent, and transform the ADCE Awards from a “final round” gatekeeper to a truly connected platform to identify and celebrate European creativity.  

This new system is designed to better reflect the richness and diversity of the European creative landscape. By widening access to entrants in both member and non-member shows, the ADCE Awards now level the playing field for smaller agencies and creatives in smaller markets, and provide greater visibility to the variety of cultures, perspectives, and talents that define creativity across the continent.  

Greater access, same high judging standards

While access to the ADCE competition expands, the standards of excellence and high bar for winning remain unchanged with the program’s elite judging standards and process.  

Esteemed ADCE Awards international juries, composed annually of top creative leaders from across the continent, bring together diverse perspectives that reflect the cultural richness and evolving reality of the European creative community.  The juries will continue to utilize The One Club’s proprietary judging technology platform to ensure maximum fairness and transparency.  

The ADCE Awards judging system remains performance driven – beginning online and concluding with on-site judging sessions during Creative Week Europe in the fall – but is now open to a broader field of entries.  

Global Creative Rankings

Since becoming part of the global nonprofit One Club for Creativity in 2023, ADCE has strengthened its mission to promote European creativity beyond the continent and create new opportunities for its community.  

This latest ADCE Awards evolution now better aligns the program within the broader global ecosystem of The One Club, strengthening the visibility of European work within the club’s renowned annual benchmark Global Creative Rankings. 

The Global Creative Rankings, which combine points earned for winning entries at The One Show, the global ADC Annual Awards, ONE Asia Creative Awards, The One Club US chapter awards, the Type Directors Club TDC competitions, and the ADCE Awards, is widely recognised as the industry’s most comprehensive worldwide ranking of agencies, brands, creative work, and creative professionals.  

By opening ADCE Awards participation to all entrants of 34 competitions in Europe, more creatives now have the opportunity to earn points and gain recognition on the global and regional stages, increasing visibility and prestige for both individuals and agencies across Europe. 

“Our industry thrives on constant change,” said ADCE Board Member Rita Spielvogel, Creative Director and Board Member at DDB Wien.  “This change to the ADCE Award is a big one, and one everyone can win with: through democratizing access, promoting diverse creativity, and thus creating a strong, even more united creative Europe.” 

“The ADCE Awards have always represented the best of European creativity,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club for Creativity. “Opening the competition to all entrants from 34 competitions in Europe strengthens that mission by giving more creatives the opportunity to measure their ideas against the best on the continent. It also ensures that outstanding work, wherever it originates, has a pathway to global recognition through The One Club’s Global Creative Rankings.”

The 2026 ADCE Awards call for entries will open in May, complete details will be available shortly on the ADCE website.

About the Art Directors Club of Europe

The Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) is a non-profit based in Barcelona, uniting 25 professional clubs and associations from 24 European countries.  Founded in 1990, ADCE promotes creative excellence in advertising and graphic design across Europe, representing more than 7,000 professionals and showcasing top local work.  ADCE’s current president is Alexander Schill, Global Chief Creative Officer of Serviceplan Group.

ADCE is part of The One Club for Creativity based in New York, home of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, ONE Asia Awards, Type Directors Club competition, Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, Next Creative Leaders ONE School, ONE Creator Lab, Where Are All The Black People conference and career fair, Portfolio Night, Creative Week, and more.  The One Club is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the global creative community.  Revenue generated from entries to its global awards shows goes back into the industry to fund programs that support industry access, creative education, professional development, and enhancement of creative careers around the world.