Aotearoa’s media stars shine at Beacon Awards 2024

AUCKLAND, Today: The 2024 Beacon Awards, presented by oOh!media, celebrated the best of Aotearoa’s media and advertising industry on Thursday evening. Clint Roberts, our veteran host, brought his energy back to the sparkling Aotea Centre in Auckland.

The night buzzed with excitement as the industry gathered to honour this year’s standout campaigns. With a range of dynamic entries, our winners showcased innovative thinking and stellar client results. Judges whittled down numerous entries to 106 finalists, awarding 8 Gold and 35 Silver Beacon Awards. Four executive awards, the evening’s most prestigious, were also presented.

Louise Bond, the 2024 Beacon Awards Convenor of Judges, noted, “…agencies and our very important media partners have worked incredibly hard to deliver successful outcomes for advertisers, while grappling with considerable change and an incredibly challenging time for our local media partners.

“The common theme running through the finalist entries was a focus on the tried and true and the use of technology and data to improve ROI. This year there were a number of outstanding campaigns that shone above the rest delivering sound insight, clever strategy and strong results to win gold awards.”

NZME was recognised as Media Business of the Year for the second consecutive year, while Go Media took home the Sales Team of the Year title, praised by the Comms Council Media Committee for their standout performance.

“Agencies and our very important media partners have worked incredibly hard to deliver successful outcomes for advertisers, while grappling with considerable change and an incredibly challenging time for our local media partners.”

FCB’s AMP ‘Investars’ campaign claimed the prestigious Best in Show award. Judges praised the campaign’s balance of insight and media strategy, showcasing ingenuity and achieving clear results in a rarely innovative channel.

The Inspiring Individual Award, honouring Sandy Smith, went to Charlotte Lobo from MBM. Her colleagues celebrated her empathy, patience, and mentorship in a touching video presentation.

PHD won Media Business of the Year, judged by an international panel for their vision, employee development, financial performance, client acquisition, industry contribution, and creativity. The judges highlighted PHD’s innovative drive, resilience in the changing media landscape, and community contributions.

The event highlighted Aotearoa’s incredible talent and creativity, especially in a rapidly evolving industry. Congratulations to all winners and finalists for their dedication and inspiring work.

“Full of community spirit, warm welcomes, and amazing work, the evening was a much-needed celebration of Aotearoa’s advertising industry. Thank you to our sponsors, judges, MC, production crew, and my own team for the months of hard work required to make the night a joyful success,” said Simon Lendrum, CEO of the Comms Council.

For the full list of winners and finalists, visit the Comms Council website.

The 2024 Beacon Awards were made possible by sponsors including oOh!media, TVNZ, Are Media, Cartology, Meta, Nielsen, NZME, Stuff, The Radio Bureau, and Google.