The organisers of the Pitcher Awards have announced a distinguished lineup of industry leaders, including Steve Babaeko, Dozie Okafor, Ayodeji Razaq, and Oge Maduagwu, as part of the first wave of jury members for the 2026 edition.
Babaeko, CEO/CCO of X3M Ideas and Vice President, Area Director for Africa at the International Advertising Association (IAA), will serve as Entertainment Jury President. Okafor, MD/CEO of PHD Nigeria and President of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), will lead the Channel Jury, while Razaq, Group CEO of RED for Africa, joins the Culture Jury. Oge Maduagwu, Head of Marketing and Communications at Samsung Electronics West Africa, will serve on the Good & Effect Jury and Brenda Nwagwu, CEO, QVT Media Limited, Lagos Nigeria is a Channel Jury Member.
The announcement marks a key milestone for the festival as it gears up for its 2026 edition, introducing notable developments such as a new Care category focused on health-driven creativity and innovation, alongside the inclusion of digital content creators whose impact continues to reshape brand storytelling and audience engagement.
Festival Chairman, Nnamdi Ndu, said the calibre and diversity of jurors reflect the rapidly evolving marketing communications landscape across Africa. According to him, the mix of experience and cultural perspectives will play a vital role in identifying work that resonates across the continent.
“Our jurors bring a wealth of insight shaped by years of leading creative thinking across Africa,” Ndu stated. “Their perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to recognise ideas that move people, shape culture, and deliver meaningful impact.”
The 2026 jury features professionals from a wide range of markets, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Senegal, Singapore, Uganda, Mauritius, Rwanda, and the United States, underscoring its commitment to a balanced, culturally aware, and future-focused evaluation process.
Other confirmed jury members span multiple categories, including Care, Channel, Craft, Culture, Digital, Entertainment, Good & Effect, and Heritage, bringing together leading voices in creativity, strategy, marketing, and communications.
The festival also reaffirmed the previously announced jury presidents who will oversee the judging process across categories, reinforcing the awards’ credibility as one of Africa’s most respected creative benchmarks.
Organised as part of the broader Pitcher Festival, the awards will introduce two major additions this year: a new Care Category, focused on health-driven creativity and innovation, and the inclusion of digital content creators, reflecting their growing influence in shaping brand storytelling and audience engagement.
The Pitcher Awards celebrate excellence across key disciplines such as Craft, Digital, Channel, Culture, Entertainment, Good & Effectiveness, Heritage, and the newly introduced Care category. Entries for the 2026 edition remain open, with additional jury members expected to be announced in the coming weeks as the festival prepares to spotlight the continent’s most outstanding creative achievements.