Mediaweek launches Next of the Best to recognise operational leaders

It’s a universally acknowledged truth that the Australian media and marketing industry loves a good night out, and a celebratory pat on the back.

As an ecosystem, we actually do a pretty good job of recognising the two furthest bookends of our industry. On one side, we have programs that champion our emerging and junior talent.

On the other side, events like our very own Mediaweek 100 celebrate the absolute top of town. These awards champion the CEOs, founders, and visionaries steering the ship.

The gap in the middle

But that leaves a massive, highly-caffeinated gap in the middle. Because while we throw plenty of parties for the rookies and the veterans, the people actually keeping the lights on are rarely celebrated in their own right.

What about the people running the machine right now?

We’re talking about the directors, the “heads of”, the managing partners, the brand guardians, and the tech builders. These leaders operate at the absolute commercial core of their businesses.

Too busy doing the work

A funny paradox happens when you reach that level of operational leadership. You become so busy driving the growth, closing the deals, and architecting the media that you simply lack the time to write a few-thousand-word essay to prove you did it.

You’re too busy doing the work to enter an award for doing the work.

That paradox partly explains why we’ve evolved the Mediaweek Next of the Best Awards for 2026.

Recognising proven performance

This year, we are moving beyond potential to celebrate proven performance. We ignore job titles, looking instead at real-world impact. We want the market movers.

Across 16 sharpened categories, we’re calling on leaders who are:

• Driving growth across brands and retail commerce.
• Closing deals and brokering the partnerships that fund the industry.
• Architecting media across agencies and platforms.
• Shaping culture through journalism, product innovation, and team leadership.

Leadership in motion

This isn’t just about holding a senior title. It’s about Leadership in Motion.

And because we know your afternoon is already packed, we removed the hurdles. The 2026 Next of the Best Awards cost nothing to enter, and the streamlined portal takes a senior leader exactly 20 minutes to complete.

No entry fees on a corporate card.

No endless essays.

We only want a sharp, peer-reviewed validation of the commercial impact you deliver every day.

You set the strategies. You completed the work. And our executive judges await your entry.

The industry has shifted. The leaders driving that change deserve recognition.

Take your place. Enter now.

Thanks to our sponsors News Corp Australia and LiSTNR.

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