Africa and the Middle East are gearing up for the Loeries Awards 2025, which will be held next month in Cape Town, South Africa. It is an industry premium award that recognises, rewards, inspires, and fosters creative excellence in the world of advertising and brand communications. Winning a Loerie is seen by most analysts as the highest accolade for creativity and innovation across the region.
It is an internationally renowned festival that has recognised excellence and creativity in brand communications across Africa and the Middle East for the past 47 years.
It also promotes and supports creativity by helping marketers, agencies, and consumers appreciate the value of fresh thinking, innovative ideas, and outstanding execution.
This year’s Loeries Creative Week is set to take place from 5 to 10 October in the City of Cape Town. The festival offers the opportunity for creative exchange, insights, and inspiration that drive the creation of remarkable campaigns.
So far, the 2025 Loeries Awards has attracted 2,784 entries from 13 countries, with a panel of 194 judges reviewing submissions across 14 subcategories and nine craft categories.
Four new categories have been added this year: Comedic Impact, New Launch Campaign, Sonic Branding, and Marketing Impact Award. These additions underscore Loeries’ dedication to celebrating and rewarding creative excellence in every form.
The 2025 programme features expos, workshops, and masterclasses that explore trends, sustainability, and the industry’s Great Hunger for exceptional work. This all culminates in the eagerly anticipated awards evenings.
Theme: The Great Hunger
Commenting on the theme, Loeries CEO, Preetesh Sewraj, said, This year’s theme, ‘The Great Hunger’, embodies the industry’s intrinsic desire to create truly iconic work. It speaks to a hunger that drives excellence and pushes boundaries in the region’s creative landscape.”
The jury presidents And Judges
The Loeries Awards has so far announced its 2025 judges, led by different Jury Presidents comprised of top creative and brand communication experts from Africa and the Middle East. They include: Merlee Jayme for Digital & Digital Crafts, Mike Dubrick for Live Communication, PR & OOH, Prasoon Joshi for Radio & Radio Crafts, and Katja Thielen for Design. Other judges announced include Emeka Okeke for Media Innovation and Jay Chukwuemeka for B2B Creativity.
There are also some distinguished global experts serving as Jury Presidents:
- Mike Dubrick, chief creative officer and partner at Rethink in Canada
- Katja Thielen, co-founder and creative director at Together Design in the UK
- Merlee Jayme, chief creative officer, founder, and chairperson at Jaymee Headquarters in the Philippines
- Prasoon Joshi, chairperson of McCann APAC in India
- Matthew Bull, founder of Solounion in New York.
The Gold Pass
The Loeries Awards have also announced the availability of the Gold Pass tickets. According to the organisers of the awards, the gold pass, “Takes your Loeries Creative Week 2025 experience to the next level! With this pass, you’ll have access to: Awards Night 1; Awards Night 2; Any Masterclass of your choice; The Loeries VIP Official After Party and The Loeries International Seminar of Creativity.”
Creative Week
The Creative week will feature expos at The Homecoming Centre from 8 to 10 October, including the popular student expo.
Masterclasses will offer a week of learning, networking, and insights sharing, highlighting leading trends and perspectives from the region and globally.
The highly anticipated International Seminar will bring together thought leaders from around the world to share insights and reflections on the industry’s transformative moments.
The two award evenings take place on 9 and 10 October, followed by the post-awards after-party on 10 October at Cabo Beach Club.
Partners
Partners driving this year’s Creative Week journey include the City of Cape Town, SABC, SAB, Primedia, TikTok for Business, Heineken, eMedia, and Gearhouse. Other supporters include Unilever, Investec, Aleph, and Publicis Groupe Africa. These partnerships showcase the industry’s dedication to celebrating creative excellence and nurturing a thriving community of innovators and leaders.