The One Club for Creativity has unveiled one of the most transformative updates to its prestigious global One Show awards in decades — the launch of The One Show Indies, a dedicated platform celebrating the achievements of independent agencies, design studios, production houses, and creators.
Set to debut as part of The One Show 2026, The One Show Indies is open exclusively to entities with genuine independent ownership — those with at least 51% founder or staff ownership and a footprint of no more than four physical offices.
With this new addition, The One Club aims to make the coveted One Show Pencil more accessible to a broader community of creative independents worldwide — shining the spotlight on those who thrive on originality, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative freedom.
“Independent agencies and creators are some of today’s most dynamic drivers of creative excellence,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club. “We want to rally them by offering a more accessible way into The One Show, and a dedicated space for them to compete and be celebrated on the world stage. The One Show Indies is like a new rebel wing inside The One Show, created to recognize independent shops and creators who make powerful work without holding company budgets and restraints.”
Rules for entry are designed to be simple, easy, and cost-effective:
- Eligible agencies, studios, and creators can submit no more than 10 entries in total.
- Each piece of work can be entered into no more than three categories.
- Limits on where costly and time-consuming case study films can be used as judging media.
- Entry fees at a 20% discounted rate off the regular fees for The One Show 2026.
These guidelines are designed to make entry easy and affordable for independent agencies, help level the playing field, and allow a greater range of work to shine.
Regular deadline for entry is January 23, 2026, and final deadline is February 20, 2026.
The One Show Indies entries will be judged by a dedicated global jury made up entirely of top creatives at independent agencies, using the same high-integrity judging platform and criteria for which The One Show is known.
In addition to awarding Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pencils and Merit awards, the jury will also present a prestigious Crystal Pencil to an overall “Best of Indies” winner.
Plans are also in the works to host a One Show Indies celebration in a more casual setting separate from the formal One Show 2026 awards ceremony in May during Creative Week.
The One Show 2026: Entry Deadlines, Judging, and Key Highlights Announced
Entries are now open for The One Show 2026, one of the world’s most prestigious awards celebrating excellence in creativity. Entry fees will increase after each submission period, with the super-early entry deadline—offering the greatest savings—set for October 30, 2025. The early deadline follows on December 12, 2025, the regular deadline on January 23, 2026, the extended deadline on February 6, 2026, and the final deadline on February 20, 2026.
The Jury Presidents and full juries for The One Show 2026 will be announced soon. Early judging begins in January 2026, with finalists revealed in May, and winners—Crystal, Gold, Silver, Bronze Pencil, and Merit honorees—to be celebrated during Creative Week 2026 in New York.
All winning entries will be showcased in The One Show’s online archive, accessible for free for one year. Winners also receive a complimentary one-year membership to The One Club for Creativity, along with full access to its extensive archive of over 250,000 award-winning works from the past 25 years.
The creators behind winning entries—agencies, brands, production companies, and individuals—will be featured in The One Show Creative Rankings and The One Club’s Global Creative Rankings, which aggregate points earned across The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, TDC competitions, ADCE Awards, and ONE Asia Creative Awards, ranking winners globally, regionally, and by country.
As a nonprofit organization, The One Club reinvests all revenue from The One Show into the creative industry, funding initiatives across its four key pillars: Education, Inclusion & Diversity, Gender Equality, and Creative Development.
