TVNZ Wins Media Business of the Year at 2026 Beacon Awards

The 2026 Beacon Awards, in association with QMS, were held on Thursday evening, celebrating outstanding work in the media and advertising industry. With Clint Roberts, our veteran Beacon Awards host, back for another hoorah, the event was held at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau.

The night was filled with anticipation as the industry eagerly awaited the announcement of this year's winners.

The winners represent standout media thinking, innovative approaches and incredible client results. Our judges narrowed the entries down to 112 finalists, ultimately awarding 17 Gold, 21 Silver and 19 Bronze beacon awards. Eight executive awards, the most prestigious of the evening, were also awarded to deserving nominees.

This year’s Media Business of the Year is TVNZ. The Judges felt their bold strategy and decisive action was ambitious and hard won in an industry facing significant disruption.

Sales Team of the Year was claimed by VAST Billboards, which the Judges felt was a standout winner, turning their market positioning into an advantage.

The 2026 Best in Show was tightly contested. Ultimately, PHD Aotearoa and Pak’n’Save won the title, for their work ‘Anything Can be a Gift at WRAP'nSAVE.’

Our international panel of judges felt that this campaign stood out by identifying a new media opportunity where consumer relevance was at its peak, coupled with flawless execution.

In addition, Together and Goodman Fielder were awarded a Highly Commended honour for their work ‘Fantasy Herd’.

This year’s Inspiring Individual Award in honour of Sandy Smith, now over a decade strong, was awarded to MediaStone’s Barbara Stone.

Two new recognition awards were introduced this year: Emerging Talent – Media Business, which was awarded to David Stock from NZME, and Emerging Talent – Media Agency, which went to Henry Sneddon from PHD Aotearoa.

These awards acknowledge individuals who achieved incredible things in the past 18 months and who are making a serious mark on the New Zealand media industry.

The International Judging Panel awarded Media Agency of the Year to Together. This award encompasses business vision, employee development, financial performance, client acquisition and development, industry contribution, creativity and innovation.

Judges praised Together’s commitment to a thoughtfully crafted business strategy; calling them progressive, willing to invest in their people, the industry, and the future.

Overall, the event showcased the incredible talent and creativity of the advertising and media industry within Aotearoa, with its challenging and rapidly evolving landscape. All winners and finalists deserve congratulations for their dedication to delivering work that pushes boundaries and inspires others.

Ben Gibb, national sales director of QMS NZ, said, “The past year has brought significant change across our industry, making moments like the Beacon Awards more important than ever. They give us the opportunity to pause, recognise the outstanding work being produced across Aotearoa, and celebrate the people, partnerships and creativity behind it. As the new naming partner of the Beacon Awards, QMS is proud to support an event that recognises the very best of our industry. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners and finalists."

Simon Lendrum, CEO of the Comms Council, said, “Those looking to gauge the temperature of our industry should look no further than the Beacon Awards. This year’s winners show a wealth of creative thinking, strategic smarts, and collaboration that delivers out-sized client outcomes."

The 2026 Beacon Awards in association with QMS are made possible through the generous support of our sponsors QMS, TVNZ, Meta, NZME, Stuff, MediaWorks, The Radio Bureau, Nielsen, Are Media, and The Spinoff.