The 2026 NGEN Awards finalists have been revealed, with six emerging media professionals having progressed to the final stage.
The finalists include: Pamela Anthony, strategy executive & Sarah Barlow, trading manager, UM; Annabelle Harrington, strategist, This is Flow; Mackenzie Jones, senior communications executive & Mia Jones, media coordinator, Match & Wood; Zoe Stanek, strategy manager, Wavemaker.
The NGEN Award celebrates media professionals with less than five years’ experience and gives emerging talent the chance to showcase their creativity and gain experience, while supporting charity.
This year’s candidates responded to a brief from UnLtd charity partner Down The Track, which delivers early intervention programs for at-risk young people in regional NSW.
The top-scoring NGEN entrants had 24 hours’ notice before presenting to judges in Sydney and Melbourne.
“This is my second year judging the NGEN Award, and I’ve been incredibly impressed once again by the quality of the entries. The calibre of thinking, creativity and strategic insight demonstrated by these emerging professionals is a real testament to the strength of talent coming through our industry. It’s exciting to see such a talented new generation bringing fresh perspectives and ambitious ideas to the table,” said NGEN Award judge & Tourism Australia general manager brand, campaign and media, Sarah Gallon.
“Participating in the NGEN Award has been an incredible experience for our charity. The campaign responses from the NGEN shortlisted entrants demonstrated brilliant insights, creativity and passion, providing us with fresh ideas that will help us raise much-needed awareness. It’s also incredibly rewarding to be part of an initiative that empowers the next generation of media leaders,” said Down The Track founder and CEO Larn Masterton.
“The NGEN Award is a unique opportunity for emerging media professionals to stretch themselves, think big and demonstrate our industry purpose of We Are The Changers. This year’s finalists rose to the challenge brilliantly, impressing the judges with astute strategic thinking, bold creativity and confident storytelling skills. We’re excited to watch them supercharge their careers through the NGEN Award and the NGEN program,” said head of NGEN and MFA foundations Melanie Aslanidis.
Winners will be announced at the MFA Awards on 24 September at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney.
The 2026 MFA Awards sponsors include grand prix sponsor, Seven and platnium sponsors Meta, Reddit and SBS. Gold sponsors include Ad Standards, Google, News Australia, Nine, OMA, OzTAM, Pinterest, Uber Advertising Silver: Cairns Crocodiles, CRA, Foxtel Media, Nielsen and Original Audio.
