New York Festivals, African Cristal Festival Launch NYF Cristal Village Award To Honour Creative Work That Educates For Good
New York Festivals Advertising Awards in partnership with the African Cristal Festival has introduced the inaugural NYF Cristal Village Award, a new category dedicated to honouring creative work that educates for good, bridges cultures, and inspires meaningful change.
That organisers said that award will honour creative brand and experiential work that promotes positive change, recognizing campaigns and initiatives across all channels that demonstrate broad appeal, purpose, and foster cultural collaboration and understanding.
According to the organisers, entries will be evaluated by a distinguished panel of jurors, led by African Cristal Festival Chair Justin Thomas-Copeland, ensuring a thoughtful and deliberate assessment that honours pioneering work.
Commenting on the new category, Justin Thomas-Copeland, Chair African Cristal Festival said, “Creativity broadens horizons, excites, and educates, this collaboration with New York Festivals embodies that. I can’t wait to see the work. By submitting entries, agencies and brands will directly fund young African talent from across the continent to attend the African Cristal Festival in Morocco. It could be the spark to change their lives!”
The 2025 Cristal Village Award Jury include experts like, African Cristal Festival Chair, Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO & Founder, KINDRD Global, United Kingdom & Belgium; Kwame Taylor Hayford, Creative Executive | Co-Founder, Kin, USA; Andrea Diquez, Global CEO, Gut, USA; Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, Chief Marketing Officer, DoorDash, USA and Shobha Sairam, Global Chief Strategy Officer, USA.
Scott Rose, President, New York Festivals, said, “New York Festivals is thrilled to join forces with the African Cristal Festival on this exciting new initiative, one that celebrates purpose-driven creativity while empowering the next generation of talent.”
This award celebrates creative brand and experience work that educates for good, recognizing campaigns and initiatives across any channel with broad appeal, purpose, and driving cultural synergy and understanding.
To qualify for this award, work must embody a strong sense of purpose, inspire new thinking, or deeper understanding, and change attitudes and behaviors for social good. The award focuses on entries that bridge cultures and deliver messages with wide-reaching, positive impact.
Examples of eligible work include, but are not limited to, campaigns delivering human & community-driven brand activation, new product and service launches and activation – with a strong social focus, climate and sustainability change, mental, and physical health & wellness impact, disease awareness, animal welfare, and human rights.
Entry fees for submissions in this category will go towards sponsoring Pan-African young creatives to attend the African Cristal Festival, planned to take place in Casablanca, Morocco in September 2025. Both NY Festivals and the African Cristal Festival hope that such an experience for young talent will change and inspire lives.