2026 Branding Awards

The RGD Branding Awards recognize and celebrate the best in branding from around the world. Accepting work from large and small studios, firms, in-house teams and students, the RGD Branding Awards are an opportunity for creatives and business owners to gain international recognition. 

Entries submitted to the Branding Awards may also be eligible for the Social Good Awards. As the So(cial) Good Design Awards are currently on hold as a stand-alone program, the 2026 Branding Awards will incorporate categories that reflect the work typically recognized through the SoGood Awards.

Eligibility

• Projects completed between June 1, 2021 and June 1, 2026.
• Projects from anywhere in the world can be entered.

Note: Case studies submitted as part of a successful Certification application in 2026 can be entered into the Branding Awards for free, provided the Certification is completed by the entry deadline. 

Project Information

As part of the entry form, you will be asked to provide the following:

• 1–8 project files in total
  Files must be smaller than 30 MB. High-resolution files will be requested for winning entries. File type can be jpg, png, gif, pdf, mov or mp4.

For most categories, entrants will be asked to answer the following questions:

• Context (0/250 words) (Describe the project goals and objectives, audience and any restrictions or special considerations directly related to the project goals.)
• Design Process (0/250 words) (Describe the process for the development of this project. Outline any research, analysis or other information gathering and investigation that contributed to the final results.)
• Solution (0/250 words) (Describe your deliverables and how they achieved project goals and objectives, engaged or served their audiences as intended and addressed unforeseen or unexpected challenges.)

If the User Experience (UX) category is selected under Element Awards, the following questions will be asked instead:

• Context (0/250 words)  (Describe the user problem, project goals and objectives.)
• Design Process (0/250 words) (Outline your design process, including user research, personas, journey maps and usability testing.)
• Solution (0/250 words) Detail the deliverables (for example wireframes, prototypes or final designs) and explain how they align with the project goals. Include metrics or qualitative evidence demonstrating impact, such as task completion rates or accessibility improvements.

If the Service Design category is selected under Element Awards, the following questions will be asked instead:

• Context (0/250 words)  (Describe the user problem, project goals and objectives.)
• Design Process (0/250 words) (Outline your process, including journey mapping, service blueprinting and operational alignment.)
• Solution (0/250 words) Detail the deliverables (for example wireframes, prototypes or final designs) and explain how they align with the project goals. Include metrics or qualitative evidence demonstrating impact, such as task completion rates or accessibility improvements.

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Our branding partner for the 2026 RGD Branding Awards is Significant Other.

Contact brandawards@rgd.ca if you have any questions.