Dubai Lynx 2026 Announces Grand Prix Winners and Award Highlights

Dubai Lynx has announced the winners of its 2026 Awards, marking the conclusion of Creativity Week with 21 Grands Prix awarded across 14 campaigns. The winners represented agencies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Germany, highlighting the breadth of creative work emerging across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The awards ceremony took place at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai on 8 October, following two days of industry discussions, presentations and networking at Dubai Media City on 6 and 7 October.

FP7 McCann Dubai Leads with Four Grand Prix Wins

FP7 McCann Dubai’s ‘Recipe for Change’ for Arla emerged as the most awarded campaign at Grand Prix level, securing four honours across Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Commerce, Creative Strategy and PR.

Saatchi & Saatchi ME’s ‘Ruby Blooms’ for Nana followed with three Grands Prix across Healthcare, Industry Craft and Print & Publishing.

Two campaigns won two Grands Prix each: Serviceplan Germany’s ‘Breastmilk Money’ for Herconomy, recognised in Direct and Glass: The Award for Change, and ‘Let It Fly’ for Saudia, created by Publicis KSA and Saatchi & Saatchi ME, which won in Media and Outdoor.

Other Grand Prix-winning campaigns included ‘Speak My Language’ for stc by VML; ‘The Coolest Ihram’ for Saudia by Landor; ‘Seat With a View’ for flynas by VML; ‘Lunar Treats’ for Oreo by Saatchi & Saatchi ME; and ‘Rescue Squad’ for Jeep by Publicis Middle East.

BigTime Creative Shop’s ‘City of Fury’ for The Ring, Shareet Studios’ ‘WABA Ramadhan’ for WABA, VML’s ‘The Eweeha Protest | Mirror’ for KAFA, Saatchi & Saatchi ME’s ‘The Leave of Absence’ for ItsHerWay, and VML’s ‘Never Cover Your Mouth’ for Mentos also received Grand Prix recognition.

Kuwait Wins Its First Film Craft Grand Prix

A notable milestone at the 2026 awards was Kuwait securing its first-ever Grand Prix. Shareet Studios’ ‘WABA Ramadhan’ for WABA won the Film Craft Grand Prix, recognising the campaign’s filmmaking and cultural storytelling.

Commenting on the achievement, Film Craft Jury President Zia Mandviwalla, Director at FINCH, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, said: “This is filmmaking at its most exhilarating. Every frame is crafted with extraordinary precision, from the impeccable rhythm and exquisite shot-making to the meticulous attention to detail. But its real triumph lies in how that craft transforms familiar cultural rituals into something fresh, dynamic and unmistakably contemporary. Rooted in the region and told from an insider’s perspective, it’s a bold, joyful celebration of culture through the power of film.”

The Grand Prix for Good was awarded to ‘The Eweeha Protest | Mirror’ for KAFA, created by VML in Riyadh.

Publicis Groupe Leads Holding Groups

Publicis Groupe secured eight Grands Prix across five campaigns, making it the leading holding group by Grand Prix count. Its wins included work by Saatchi & Saatchi ME, Publicis KSA and Publicis Middle East.

WPP followed with five Grands Prix across four campaigns, while McCann Worldgroup secured four Grands Prix through FP7 McCann Dubai’s ‘Recipe for Change’. Serviceplan Group won two Grands Prix for ‘Breastmilk Money’, and independent agencies collected two Grands Prix across two campaigns.

The results underline the contribution of both international agency networks and independent creative businesses to the region’s advertising and marketing landscape.

Dubai Lynx 2026 Special Awards Winners

Alongside the category awards, Dubai Lynx announced its Special Awards winners across agency networks, media networks, regional agencies, independent agencies and production.

Network of the Year

1. Saatchi & Saatchi
2. McCann
3. VML

Media Network of the Year

• Zenith
• OMD Worldwide
• Starcom

MENA Agency of the Year

• Saatchi & Saatchi ME, Dubai
• FP7 McCann Dubai
• VML, Riyadh

Independent Agency of the Year

1. BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh
2. Edelman, Dubai
3. Shareet Studios, Kuwait City

Lynx Palm Award

1. Truffle Films, Saudi Arabia
2. Shareet Studios, Kuwait
3. Kurve Studios, Lebanon

Grand Prix Recognition Across Creative Disciplines

The 2026 awards recognised work across a range of creative disciplines, including Audio & Radio, Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Commerce, Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy, Design, Digital Craft, Direct, Entertainment, Film, Film Craft, Glass: The Award for Change, Healthcare, Industry Craft, Integrated, Media, Outdoor, PR, Print & Publishing, and Social & Creator.

Among the category highlights, ‘Recipe for Change’ for Arla won in Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Commerce, Creative Strategy and PR. ‘Ruby Blooms’ for Nana received recognition in Healthcare, Industry Craft and Print & Publishing. ‘Let It Fly’ for Saudia won in Media and Outdoor, while ‘Breastmilk Money’ for Herconomy secured Grand Prix honours in Direct and Glass: The Award for Change.

The awards also recognised campaigns addressing social issues and cultural narratives. ‘The Eweeha Protest | Mirror’ for KAFA received the Grand Prix for Good, while the Film Craft win for ‘WABA Ramadhan’ highlighted the role of culturally grounded storytelling in the region’s creative work.

Industry Leaders Highlight MENA’s Creative Momentum

Philip Thomas, Chair of Dubai Lynx, said: “The 2026 winners demonstrate the creative momentum building across MENA, with new markets breaking through and work that continues to push the boundaries of creativity and effectiveness. We are particularly pleased to see Kuwait secure its first-ever Grand Prix, reflecting the growing diversity and ambition of the region’s creative community.”

Ian Fairservice, Vice Chairman of Dubai Lynx, added: “This year’s winners reflect the ambition, confidence and talent across the region. From work rooted in local culture to campaigns with wider global relevance, they demonstrate the influence MENA continues to have on the creative industry.”

Dubai Lynx Creativity Week, held on 6 and 7 October at Dubai Media City, brought together regional and international industry leaders for sessions focused on creativity, marketing innovation, cultural relevance and talent development. The programme concluded with the awards ceremony at Emirates Golf Club on 8 October.

With 21 Grands Prix awarded across 14 campaigns, the 2026 edition recognised creative excellence across multiple markets and disciplines, while marking a significant first for Kuwait and reflecting the evolving ambitions of the MENA creative industry.