Entries are now open for The Marketing Society Star Awards 2026, celebrating the most innovative and impactful marketing campaigns and professionals across Scotland.
The awards have been a cornerstone event in Scotland’s marketing calendar for over two decades and highlight creativity, strategy, and excellence in the marketing industry, shining a spotlight on both established brands and emerging talent.
This year, the Star Awards will introduce three brand new categories, including ‘Small Budget, Big Impact’, ‘AI, Automation & Emerging Tech’ and ‘B2B’ to reflect the evolving landscape of the sector. As budgets tighten and scrutiny increases; marketing is no longer judged on ideas alone but also by impact and today’s most effective campaigns blend creativity, data, technology and cultural instinct, something reflected in changes to this year’s categories.
The new Chair of the Star Awards, Principal Global Brand Marketing Manager at Skyscanner, Victoria Best said: “Scotland is producing some of the most inventive and effective marketing in the UK, and the Star Awards is where that work gets recognised.
“The marketing industry is embracing massive change because of AI, and we wanted to give entrants an opportunity to showcase their efforts with a new category for emerging tech, as well as new categories for small budgets and business-to-business campaigns.
“Looking at 2025’s winners, they haven’t just executed great campaigns but have brought ideas to life that have driven commercial results, shaped culture, and raised the bar for industry excellence. We’re excited to see which campaigns will define 2026.”
Previous winners include Skyscanner, Shelter Scotland, Scottish Widows, Scottish Power and Irn-Bru. Among those with experience of success is David Craik, Inspirational Agency Leader of the Year 2025 and CEO of Bright Signals, which took home Star Agency of the Year 2025. He said: “There’s no question that the Star Awards are the most important marketing awards in Scotland, to both agencies and clients alike.
“We have absolutely seen real impact since winning the Agency of the Year award, with the last few months being one of the busiest and best periods we’ve ever had from a new business perspective. And the sense of pride it gave our people really is priceless. The awards are also just a great night out. So, enter, win, and reap the rewards!”
Marketing teams and agencies are invited to submit their work across a wide range of categories and to encourage early participation, The Marketing Society is offering new early-bird entry rate available until 31 December 2025.
Full details of the awards, categories and how to enter can be found, here.
Overall entry deadline: Thursday 12 February 2026
The convergence of tech and brands 