Sydney sees Top Advertising & Marketing Agencies Top Listed In 2026 Mumbrella Awards

Sydney, Australia: The 2026 Mumbrella Awards have announced this year’s raft of shortlisted agencies, campaigns and case studies, showcasing the very best advertising and marketing work and the top creative and independent agencies from Sydney and across Australia.

The prestigious industry awards have seen HERO recognised in the Best Independent Agency of the Year, Creative Excellence in AI and Emerging Tech and Best Use of Data and Insight in Marketing award categories.

Fresh from HERO’s recognition at the 2026 AdNews Agency of the Year Awards, also for Independent Agency of the Year and Best Use of AI and Technology, the company’s groundbreaking Transit Tales campaign for Mastercard has again been recognised in both the Mumbrella Creative Excellence in AI and Emerging Tech and Mumbrella Best Use of Data and Insight in Marketing Awards.

Australia’s Best Performing creative agency in AI and technology Innovation

These ongoing accolades for Mastercard Transit Tales and the globally awarded Fujifilm Mindography campaign have affirmed HERO as Australia’s leading creative innovator in AI and technology campaigns, activations and case studies that continue to deliver best-in-class marketing performance, innovation and results.

Over the past 12 months, HERO’s groundbreaking Mindography campaign has been recognised at The One Show, Spikes Asia, WINA and D&AD Awards and now also the Mumbrella Awards. This continuous streak firmly cements HERO's reputation among the best creative advertising agencies in Sydney right now.

These accolades follow HERO being named as the global WINA Festival’s Australian Agency of the Year. HERO also once again secured a top 10 ranking in the coveted Campaign Brief Australia Hotlist. Selected from over 300 entries, this top ranking reflects HERO’s consistent delivery of world-class creativity, strategic excellence and integrated marketing solutions that deliver real business impact, which this year saw Campaign Brief name HERO Australia’s top creative independent.

In Australia’s globally recognised and hotly contested market, year on year HERO continues to top the ranks of Australia’s most awarded advertising agencies, for both creativity and effectiveness. HERO’s accolades include being named #1 Independent Agency by both the Effies APAC and Australian Effies, and winning Agency of the Year titles from the New York Festivals, Mumbrella, AdNews, B&T, Campaign Brief and most recently the WINA (World Independent Advertising Awards) Festival. HERO’s work has also been recognised globally at every top-tier festival around the world, including Cannes Lions, One Show, Clios, London International Awards, D&AD, Adfest, and Spikes Asia.

Even HERO’s office is award-winning. The HERO HQ is the only media and marketing business in Australia listed in the prestigious Australian Interior Design Awards, the Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) and the global INDE. Awards.

In recent years, HERO has been consistently recognised at the world’s best award shows as Sydney’s top-ranked creative agency, with standout case studies like Maybelline’s globally-acclaimed Through Their Eyes campaign, which earned a Grand Prix at Mad Stars, Gold at AWARD, and top honours at Spikes Asia, along with a Silver Cannes Lion. HERO’s work for Toyota has also received widespread acclaim and HERO’s creative leadership was further celebrated with wins for Social Media Campaign of the Year and Game Changer of the Year at AdNews.