Winning a B&T 30 Under 30 Award has been perhaps the greatest indicator of future success in the advertising, marketing and media industry for the last 20 years at least.
But while friends, family and colleagues might be convinced of your greatness, pushing oneself to enter can often prove to be a stumbling block.
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So for the first time — and surely not the last — B&T recently partnered with Gumtree for a new style of event: ‘How to win a 30 Under 30 Award’.
The pitch was simple: judges and past winners would take the stage to dispense wisdom on how to get your entry rolling and how to stand out from the judges.
“You may be staring at a blank screen thinking, ‘Why do I deserve this? How do I start? What are the judges looking for?’” Gumtree’s director of advertising Jessica Hunter told the crowd in Sydney.
“Many people don’t enter because they think that their video submission needs to look like the next Super Bowl ad. It doesn’t.”
What Judges Look For
It should not be a surprise to anyone that excellence at work is merely table stakes for B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards.
But what makes an entrant stand out to the judges, according to Howatson+Company’s group managing director and four-time 30 Under 30 Awards judge Renee Hyde, is a deeper connection between the entrant and their work.
“The big change [in recent years] is in how people have presented themselves and understanding of their own personal brand and motivation,” Hyde said.
“The theory around what it means to come to a workplace, what it means to contribute to the workplace and what your mission is has just grown and grown. A few years ago it was all about a campaign they worked on or this was the outcome. But now it’s a broader set on the impact that winners want to have in the world.”
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That sentiment was echoed by Kanna, who said true leadership — not just impressing judges during an awards submission — is about thinking and doing the atypical.
“There are three things that mark out a future leader,” Kanna said.
“Broad thinking: the ability to think outside of just your everyday and job description but to understand what a business needs and how you can impact it, find a problem and then proactively bring it to someone with a solution. Being results focused: don’t just tell me what the problem is, but tell me how we can go about making a difference.
“But most importantly, it’s the people: care, turn up and being a good person is very important. It isn’t just a title, but it’s how you lift the people around you.”
Advice From The Winners
First to take the stage on the night was last year’s Grand Prix and Media Sales / Account Management winner, Nikyah Hutchings from NITV.
Her winning entry detailed her achievements in leading NITV’s commercial portfolio and her own presenting duties at the broadcaster. But her advice: “have fun” with the entry and ensure that your personality shines through.
But already, the win is seeing Hutchings gaining greater recognition throughout the business.
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“The day after the awards show, we had a commercial board meeting at SBS and our director of First Nations took the awards, sat them in front of all the execs and said “This is what we’re striving to”.
VML’s Charlie Dejean, Grand Prix and Creative winner in 2025 was the next. His entry featured much more levity.
“I don’t like hearing my own voice — so if there’s four of me, it might be better,” he laughed.
Dejean’s colleague, Andrew Bao, also won the Creative award in 2026. Dejean had told Bao to focus on the “importance of an idea” within the entry.
What stood out for Hyde and Kanna, in particular, was how Dejean focused on improving the rest of the business.
“It’s an incredibly collaborative industry. We’re always looking for people who aren’t just out for themselves but are out for the greater good of the department,” Hyde said.
“I feel like I really got to know you,” added Kanna.
Amy Vu, who leads SEO and GEO at WiredCo., was up next. Her entry was heavy on the achievements, but delivered in a jargon-free way.
“Being able to make it simple and to explain it to the everyday person is really important,” said Kanna.
Again, Vu’s work to assist her colleagues grow was another piece that stood out to Hyde.
“Feedback in the moment is critical in how we grow our teams. Amy clearly does that very well and it’s a critical part of leadership,” said Hyde.
“I had to learn it the hard way, especially when I transitioned to a management position,” said Vu.
“I had to be willing to give things up to do more high-level work and then make sure that everyone can come up with me,” she added.
Enter the 2027 B&T 30 Under 30 Awards today!
Ben Nagappa, who won the Marketing & Comms award in 2026, was lauded by Kanna and Hyde for the “curiosity” which was demonstrated in his entry.
But his advice for future entrants?
“One of the strengths in my submission was the body so I was trying to lean on that,” he said, “but try not to cram absolutely everything in there.”
Finally, Dentsu’s Aaron Paul took the stage. His entry, like all the other winners showcased, demonstrated how Paul had helped others. But none demonstrated his wider industry engagement to such a level.
“You can’t succeed in this industry just by yourself,” Paul said.
“It’s all about the team, the people you work with and the leaders and mentors who back you before you even back yourself,” he said.
“For me, it’s about creating those opportunities for others because I know how much it meant to me.”
If anything sums up the spirit of B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards, it’s that sentiment.
Enter the 2027 B&T 30 Under 30 Awards today!
