ADCE Awards now open to all entrants of European competitions
March 20, 2026
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, now making the program open to all entrants in 34 leading awards shows across the continent.
Previously open only to winners and shortlisted works, the ADCE Awards are now open to all entrants to competitions organised by ADCE’s 25 member clubs, as well as to those who enter select eligible competitions in Europe run by non-member organizations. The complete list of 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.
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 ADCE Creative Week in the fall – but is now open to a broader field of entries.
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.
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.
