Earned First Awards Asia-Pacific Winners 2026
About the Earned First Awards
The Earned First Awards recognise communications work where credibility is earned, not bought. The inaugural Asia-Pacific edition celebrates campaigns and practitioners whose strategic judgement and earned-first approach have delivered meaningful impact.
The awards evaluated work against four criteria: impact, outcomes and measurement (35%); earned-first thinking and execution (25%); creativity and strategy (25%); and degree of difficulty (15%). The programme is designed to recognise work that solves business problems, shapes reputations and builds trust, including in complex or challenging circumstances.
The awards recognise communications work where credibility is earned rather than bought, and where strategy, judgement and trust matter more than scale, spend or spectacle. Winners were announced at the awards reception in Singapore on 6 October 2026.
Campaign & Craft
01
Best Media Relations
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beyond Borders: Ideas that move Nations | British Council | MSL |
02
Best Earned Storytelling
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 Lights, One Future | Peace of Art SG | Kyrah & Song Advisory |
03
Earned Brand Building
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intelligence Accelerated: How Micron Made Southeast Asia the Next AI Supply Chain Frontier | Micron Technology | Golin Singapore |
04
Authentic Influencer Activation
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sound of Stinggg | Sting Energy | Edelman India |
05
Earned Crisis Response
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rapido: Karnataka Bike Taxi Ban: Turning A Corner | Rapido | Burson Genesis |
06
Community-Led Impact
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunfeast Mom’s Magic – Dear Maa Campaign | Sunfeast | Avian We. |
Innovation, Measurement & Content
07
Behavioural & Strategic Impact Through Earned
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colgate - Oral Health Movement | Colgate-Palmolive (India) | Avian We. |
08
Measurement Excellence in Earned Media
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Designed for Bharat. Discussed by Bharat. | TECNO | ZENO Group |
09
Earned Innovation Award
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brilliant Moves in Real Time: How McKinsey Used AI to Shape the China Resilience Narrative | McKinsey & Company | McKinsey & Company |
10
Thought Leadership & Insight-Led Earned Strategy
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seegene: From Scientific Expertise to Global Influence: An Earned Thought Leadership Engine | Seegene | The Hoffman Agency Korea |
11
Cross-Border / Cultural Intelligence
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AI Ready ASEAN | ASEAN Foundation | Vero |
Trust, Reputation & Strategy
12
Credibility Breakthrough
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leading the EdTech Industry Back to Trust | upGrad | MSL |
13
Long-Term Credibility & Corporate Transformation
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuelling Australia’s Future: How Airbus Became the Voice of a Sovereign SAF Industry | Airbus | Sefiani, part of Clarity Global |
14
Geopolitical / Policy Impact
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Advocating for Better Creches as Public Good | FORCES | Avian We. |
15
C-Suite & CEO Communications (Earned)
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giving an industry its voice back | Master Electricians New Zealand | Alexander PR |
16
High-Impact, Low-Budget Earned Work
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Reviving Cinema in a Year of Closures | Singapore International Film Festival | Mutant |
Confidential & Specialist
17
Confidential Impact Award
| S.No | Campaign Title | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Global Technology Company Operating Across the AI and Semiconductor Sector | The Hoffman Agency Taiwan |
18
High-Stakes Sector Award
| S.No | Campaign Title | Participant / Client Organisation | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How Earned Communications Reshaped Malaysia's BNPL Conversation | Atome | Ellerton & Co |
19
Earned First Leadership Award
| S.No | Campaign Title | Entrant Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caroline Hsu | The Hoffman Agency |