Enter the Awards
ENTRIES ARE OPEN!
The Australian Effie Awards are part of the global Effie network, the international benchmark for marketing effectiveness. They recognise one thing: ideas that work, and campaigns that deliver measurable business results.
Eligibility
Advertising campaigns that ran in Australia during the period 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2026 are eligible for entry. Campaigns may have been introduced earlier but must have run during this period and have data relative to the qualifying time.
Entrants are to select one industry category from Category List A and up to four specialist categories from List B per campaign.
International data may be included for context where necessary.
More eligibility requirements regarding previous entries and case criteria can be found in the Entry Guide below.
Entry Guide
The essential how-to-enter guide will help you prepare for the Effie Awards. Download today and get familiar with what’s required.
Tips for winning entry:
- Submit entries online and plan ahead to meet deadlines.
- Keep your storytelling concise and impactful—stick to the word count.
- Showcase a clear connection between your strategy, execution, and effectiveness.
Join us in celebrating the ideas that truly make a difference.
Effie Entry Template
To help with offline entry creation and approvals, we’ve developed an Effie Entry template for you to collate your entry before uploading it to the entry portal. This is purely for draft purposes and you must answer the precise questions for the category you’re entering.
Entry Forms
You can also download the entry forms to read outside the entry portal. All entries must be submitted online.
FREE WEBINAR
Give yourself the best chance of winning a gold Effie. Watch the free webinar with Effie judges.
Key takeaways:
- Introduction to the Effie Awards and learn about new categories
- Get tips from Effie judges on writing an award-winning entry
- Find out how to fill in missing data using the Ideally research platform. For more information on the Effie
Credit System, email effies@goideally.com - Find out how to enter with key tricks and tips for using the online portal
- Have the opportunity to ask the team direct questions about entry into this year’s Effie Awards
Category Lists
List A: Industry Categories
Only one category can be entered
List B: Specialist Categories
Maximum four categories can be entered
– Campaigns under $10 million
– Campaigns over $10 million
Key Dates
| Call For Entries Open: | Monday 16 February 2026 |
| Effie Entry Webinar: | Tuesday 24 March 2026 |
| On-Time Entries Close: | Monday 4 May 2026 |
| Extended Deadline: | Monday 18 May 2026 |
| Late Entry Deadline: | Monday 1 June 2026 |
| Round 1 Online Judging: | Wed 17 June – Wed 1 July 2026 |
| Finalists Announced: | Monday 13 July 2026 |
| Round 2 Online Judging: | Wed 22 July – Wed 5 Aug 2026 |
| Round 2 In Person MELB: | Tuesday 18 August 2026 |
| Round 2 In Person SYD: | Thursday 20 August 2026 |
| Grand Judging: | Tuesday 1 September 2026 |
| Awards Night: | Friday 9 October 2026 |
Entry Fees
Ex GST
| Member On-Time Entry Fee | $1,155 |
| Member Extended Deadline Fee | $1,525 |
| Member Late Entry Fee | $1,995 |
| Non-Member On-Time Entry Fee | $2,100 |
| Non-Member Extended Deadline Fee | $2,415 |
| Non-Member Late Fee | $2,990 |
| New Entrants On-Time Entry Fee | $945 |
| New Entrants Extended Deadline Fee | $1,155 |
| New Entrants Late Fee | $1,575 |
| Small Budget Category On-Time Entry Fee | $630 |
| Small Budget Category Extended Deadline Fee | $685 |
| Small Budget Category Late Fee | $845 |
| Changes to entry after Ext. Deadline | $500 |
MENTORSHIP
New to Effie?
If you’re new to the Effie Awards and would like expert insights into creating a winning entry, we have a panel of previous Effie winners who can help guide you through writing a credible case study.
Contact lindsay@adcouncil.org.au to be connected with an Effie’ Judge.