Congratulations to all winners at the YouTube NZ Marketing Awards 2026! Here is the full list.
The 35th annual Awards, hosted by NZ Marketing magazine and the NZ Marketing Association, were held at Auckland’s Spark Arena on September 2. The fabulous night honours best work and brightest marketing talent across Aotearoa and is the premier awards programme in the calendar.
Antonia Prebble was once again MC for the evening, guiding everyone through the proceedings.
Thank you to YouTube, premier sponsor of the Awards.
Check out the full winners list below and click the links to read about why they won, including comments from the judges.
Supreme Awards
| Award | Winner |
| Brand of the Year sponsored by TRA | Trade Me Property |
| Marketer of the Year sponsored by oOh!media | Sean Wiggans, general manager – marketing, Turners Auto Retail |
| Marketing Team of the Year sponsored by MediaWorks | Animates |
| Marketer of the Future sponsored by StopPress | Emi Cross, Digital performance specialist, Maverick Tourism Marketing |
| Marketing Hall of Fame sponsored by Marketing Association | Wendy Rayner, managing director NZ, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners NZ |
| Best Overall Marketing Campaign Award sponsored by Sky | Westpac New Zealand |
| Supreme Marketing Excellence Award sponsored by YouTube | Samsung New Zealand |
Excellence Awards
| Award | Winner | Marketing initiative |
| Excellence in AI Innovation in Marketing | 2degrees | My internet is bung: pivoting to people language |
| Excellence in B2B Marketing Strategy | ASB | Powering adviser success |
| Excellence in Brand Transformation Strategy | AMI Insurance | From a passive to powerful platform – how AMI re-earned category leadership |
| Excellence in Consumer Products & Services Strategy | Stihl | Using battery as a strategic lever for brand growth |
| Excellence in Customer & Data-led Growth | Trade Me | Right place, right time, real time |
| Excellence in Fast Moving Consumer Goods Strategy sponsored by Dish magazine | Lactalis-Mainland Dairy | Taking Protein+ to the masses |
| Excellence in Financial & Banking Marketing Strategy | AMI Insurance | From a passive to powerful platform – how AMI re-earned category leadership |
| Excellence in Healthcare/Beauty Marketing Strategy | Zuru Group | Being haircare: for being you |
| Excellence in Long-Term Marketing Strategy sponsored by NZ Marketing magazine | Samsung New Zealand | Samsung long-term marketing strategy – Apple disrupt |
| Excellence in Marketing Communication Strategy | Lion NZ | Reinvigorating Steinlager – New Zealand’s finest |
| Excellence in MarTech Strategy | Trade Me | Rebuilding growth: from fragmented campaigns to a unified lifecycle engine |
| Excellence in New Brand Development | Fisher & Paykel Healthcare | F&P Solo: innovative and intuitive |
| Excellence in Not-for-Profit Marketing Strategy | Greyhounds as Pets | Greathounds |
| Excellence in Sponsorship Strategy | ANZ New Zealand | ANZ behind Auckland FC |
| Excellence in Travel/Leisure & Entertainment Marketing Strategy | Sixt New Zealand | Sixt New Zealand: from functional utility to lifestyle authority |
| Excellence in Utilities/Communications Marketing Strategy | 2degrees | Fixing the funnel: how Warehouse Mobile unlocked growth through brand salience |
Marketing Campaign Awards
| Award | Winner | Marketing initiative |
| Best B2B Marketing Campaign sponsored by Agency Directory | OfficeMax | ‘There for all of it’ small business campaign |
| Best B2C Marketing Campaign | Westpac New Zealand | Westpac House of Credit Card Fears |
| Best Data-driven Marketing Campaign sponsored by Vistar Media | NZ Post | Send a little joy to the world |
| Best In-House Marketing Campaign | Ecostore | Ecostore Dr Michelle Dickinson partnership |
| Best Marketing on a Shoestring Budget Campaign | Auckland Transport | Bus Driver Appreciation Day 2025 |
| Best Not-for-Profit Marketing Campaign | Greyhounds as Pets | Greathounds |
| Best Public Sector/Government Marketing Campaign | Tourism New Zealand | The invitation that brought Michelin to dinner |
| Best Social Purpose-Driven Marketing Campaign sponsored by SCG | Greyhounds as Pets | Greathounds |
| Best Use of Content Marketing Campaign | Westpac New Zealand | Westpac House of Credit Card Fears |
| Best Retail & Ecommerce Marketing Campaign | KFC New Zealand | The Colonel’s hacks |
| Best Use of Video Marketing Campaign sponsored by YouTube | Auckland Transport | How the West moves |
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 88, Sept-Nov 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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