After two consecutive years dominated by familiar names, Campaign’s Agency of the Year Awards for Australia and New Zealand in 2025 marked a clear broadening of the winners’ circle, with Gold honours distributed more evenly across creative, media, PR, digital innovation and independent agencies.
The awards concluded last night (December 9) at the Pan Pacific Singapore as part of Campaign’s annual Agency of the Year celebrations across Southeast Asia and ANZ.
It was another strong showing for Special. After leading the Gold tally in 2023 and 2024, the group once again topped the ANZ Gold tally in 2025 with five major wins spanning Australia Creative, New Zealand PR and Agency-Marketer Partnership of the Year and individual honours for Bethany Omeri for strategic/brand planner in ANZ and Phoebe Peralta for ANZ Account Person of the Year.
That said, whilst Special finished at the top, 2025 did not feel like a one-agency procession. Wins are spread more evenly across the region, with authority shifting between creative, media, PR and CX.
Creative: Special returns in Australia, TBWA takes New Zealand
- Australia Creative Agency of the Year (Gold): Special
- New Zealand Creative Agency of the Year (Gold): TBWA New Zealand
After giving way to The Monkeys in 2024, Special moved straight back to the top of the Australian creative pile in 2025, reclaiming the title it had held through much of the previous cycle. The win was part of a broader showing for the group on the night, with Special also picking up Gold for New Zealand PR Agency of the Year and the ANZ Agency-Marketer Partnership with Uber Eats.
Across the Tasman, TBWA New Zealand edged ahead to take the Creative Gold, nudging aside a field that has seen leadership rotate between Special NZ, Colenso and Motion Sickness in recent years.
Media and Digital: PHD and OMD lead across both markets
- Australia Media Agency of the Year (Gold): PHD Australia
- New Zealand Media Agency of the Year (Gold): OMD New Zealand
- Australia Digital Innovation Agency of the Year (Gold): OMD
- New Zealand Digital Innovation Agency of the Year (Gold): DDB Group Aotearoa
While media leadership shifted at the agency level in 2025, it remained firmly within Omnicom's stable.
PHD Australia took home the gong in the Australia Media Agency category, reversing the network-level result from 2024, which saw OMD claim the top spot. While the guard changed at the agency level, the crown stayed firmly within the Omnicom holdco.
Across the Tasman, OMD New Zealand swiped the Gold for Media Agency title, giving Omnicom another significant media crown of the night. OMD also picked up the Australia Digital Innovation Agency accolade, extending its influence beyond planning and buying into technology-led performance and platform capability.
In New Zealand, DDB Group Aotearoa took out the Digital Innovation Gold, reflecting the continued convergence of creative brand thinking and experience-led technology execution as networks reposition for a more systems-driven marketing economy.
PR, independents and specialists
- Australia PR Agency of the Year (Gold): Herd MSL
- New Zealand PR Agency of the Year (Gold): Special
One of the clearer category shifts of the night came in Australian PR, where Herd MSL lifted the Gold to displace Ogilvy PR, last year’s winner.
In New Zealand, Special retained the PR crown to add to its broader 2025 tally alongside its Australia Creative and Partnership wins. Few agencies matched that level of cross-market breadth this year, with Special also leading the People categories through wins for Phoebe Peralta and Bethany Omeri.
Other independents and specialists that strengthened their position in the market are: Apparent. The shop took home the Independent Agency of the Year title.
Motion Sickness completed a hat-trick of Boutique Agency Gold wins, extending its run back to 2023 and reinforcing its position as New Zealand’s most consistently influential independent of the past three years. The agency also dominated the senior People categories, with Sam Stuchbury winning both Agency Head and Creative Leader awards.
Digitas took the Customer Engagement Gold and WiredCo. won the Content Marketing category, while Akcelo walked away with a Brand Experience Gold.
Publicis Groupe ANZ took the CSR Gold, as sustainability and social impact continue to move into the category of core commercial capability.
Partnership of the Year: Special and Uber Eats
Special remained a key force, with multiple Golds across creative, PR and partnership. The jury recognised its partnership with Uber Eats with the ANZ Gold.
A full winner list can be read here.
