Campaign Asia-Pacific is accepting nominations for 40 Under 40 2026, the 14th edition of its annual recognition of the region's leading marketing, communications and media professionals aged 40 and under.
The programme identifies individuals delivering measurable business impact, demonstrating leadership and contributing meaningfully to the advancement of the industry. Nominations are open to both external nominators and self-nominees. Below are some handy details.
| Category | Deadline | Entry Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Early Bird Entry | Monday, 16 March 2026 | HK$3,750 |
| Standard Entry | Wednesday, 1 April 2026 | HK$4,280 |
| Final Entry | Friday, 17 April 2026 | HK$4,500 |
| Winners Announcement | Thursday, 18 June 2026 | — |
Entry fees are non-refundable and payable in Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) and due at the time of submission.
Eligibility criteria
Nominees must be based in Asia Pacific and hold a role directly related to advertising, marketing or
communications
(including professionals from brands, agencies, media companies, technology firms, startups and event organisations).
Nominees should be aged 40 or under through Friday, 17 April 2026 (inclusive)
(Birth date: 18 April 1985 or later) and demonstrate achievements within the eligibility period: January 1, 2025 to 17
April 2026.
Judging process
Campaign Asia-Pacific will announce an independent jury panel, who will evaluate and score submissions individually via a secure online platform. The highest-scoring entries will then be reviewed by Campaign Asia to confirm the final selection.
Judges may request verification or clarification of submitted information. Entries containing inaccurate or misleading claims may be penalised or disqualified. The jury’s decision is final.
Important notes
Entrants may nominate up to two individuals per brand/agency per market.
Candidates featured in other
Campaign Asia-Pacific programmes (including Women to Watch, Women Leading Change Awards and the Asia-Pacific
Power List) are eligible; however those featured within the past 12 months are encouraged to defer
until 2027. Exceptions may be considered if age eligibility expires next year.
Entries are to be submitted online via our entry platform; you can check all the details on the 40 Under 40 website. We highly recommend preparing your answers in advance before filling out the form. Following completion of the nomination, our membership manager will follow up with you to arrange the Campaign Asia-Pacific membership.
What makes a good entry?
The entry will demonstrate why the person nominated is clearly indispensable to the company they work for. We will understand specifically what they have done to make them a crucial player in their team and/or the wider business. Metrics and business results that can be provided as evidence are important here.
The entry will make it clear that the candidate goes above and beyond the demands of their job description, both in terms of their own company's business and in the wider sense of helping to take the industry forward in a positive way. We will take into consideration a candidate's background and the effort and perseverance required to reach their goals.
The entry will show us that the nominee is an inspiring person to work with; however, this manifests itself. We should get the strong feeling that we'd want to work with these people if we could.
Testimonials from colleagues, and especially from third parties, from all stages of the nominee's career, will be looked upon favourably. We appreciate entries that are well-written and concise, with clearly laid-out information and specific, concrete examples of achievements by the nominee.
Confidential information
Please remember to flag confidential information in your nomination by putting it into [square brackets]. We ask that you only flag the specific information that you need to keep confidential, rather than the whole entry or large parts of it, since we will rely on this information to compile a write-up for anyone who makes the cut.
A note on conduct
Campaign Asia-Pacific reserves the right to disqualify or withdraw an entry, award, or recognition at its absolute discretion and without refund if an entry provides false/misleading information or in cases of substantiated misconduct or reputational damage.
Queries can be directed here: 40under40@haymarket.asia
Good luck!
Source: Campaign Asia-Pacific
