New York Festivals Health Awards names 2026 shortlist with 278 entries advancing

New York Festivals Health Awards has announced its 2026 shortlist, with work from 14 countries moving to the trophy round and U.S. agencies leading the field. Winners will be revealed November 17, 2026, after executive jury sessions in health, wellness and pharma.

Why it matters: - The shortlist shows where healthcare and wellness advertising creativity is strongest heading into the final round. - The field spans 14 countries, signaling broad international competition across health, wellness and pharma communications. - The new Human Lens: The Lived Experience category is drawing early momentum, with patient and caregiver perspectives getting more attention.

What happened: - New York Festivals Health Awards announced its 2026 shortlist on November 9, 2026. - A total of 278 entries advanced to the trophy round. - U.S. agencies led the shortlist, followed by Canada and the United Kingdom. - Shortlisted work will move to face-to-face Executive Jury sessions before final awards are set.

The details: - OLIXIR New York earned the highest number of shortlisted entries among U.S. agencies. - Digitas Health, The Bloc, Neon, VML and Grey New York also posted strong results. - Other U.S. agencies with entries advancing include The Considered, Grey Health NY, Eversana Intouch, BeautifulBeast, Otherhood Agency and Avalere Health. - Klick Health Canada secured the second-highest number of shortlisted entries for the second straight year. - TANK Worldwide and Fuse Create also advanced from Canada. - Argentina’s Mercado McCann earned multiple shortlist placements. - Ogilvy Health UK led European agencies in shortlisted entries. - Other UK agencies advancing include Havas Lynx, Matter and BBH. - Germany is represented by Remedy Edge Germany and St. Elmo's Fire. - Italy's Accenture Song advanced, while Spain's SAMY and Manifesto each earned multiple shortlist placements. - In Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, shortlisted agencies include TBWA Singapore, Leo Singapore, Daehong Communications in South Korea, TBWA/HAKUHODO in Japan, Showpony in Australia, BrandCare Asia in India and KOLYSHEV C&D Israel. - Shortlisted work spans integrated campaigns, film, audio, social media, out-of-home, experiential activations, brand partnerships, AI-driven creativity and other technology-led executions. - More than 40 entries advanced in the inaugural Human Lens: The Lived Experience category. - The Human Lens category focuses on patient stories, caregiver narratives, community voices and lived experience. - The Health & Wellness Executive Jury will be chaired by Rich Levy, chief creative officer at Klick Health. - The Pharma Executive Jury will be chaired by Jason Graff, global chief creative officer at VML Health. - The Human Lens Specialty Jury will be co-chaired by Jordan and Anna Rathkopf, co-founders of RATHKOPF.

Between the lines: - The shortlist suggests health advertising is increasingly competing on emotional relevance, not just media execution. - The strong response to Human Lens points to a broader industry push for patient-centered storytelling. - The spread of entries across regions shows that health creativity is no longer concentrated in a few markets.

What's next: - Final award levels will be determined in executive jury sessions. - Trophy-winning campaigns will be announced on November 17, 2026. - New York Festivals directs readers to more information on the shortlist and HEALTH PULSE.

The bottom line: - New York Festivals Health Awards is taking 278 campaigns into the final stage, with U.S. agencies in the lead and patient-centered work gaining clear traction.