An early bird entry window runs until Wednesday, 22 April, offering discounted entry fees for teams submitting work during the first phase of the programme.
The awards recognise work spanning Strategy, Design, User Experience (UX), Innovation, Leadership, Technology, and Impact and Purpose, reflecting the increasingly integrated nature of modern marketing practice, says the awards.
"The Mark Awards were created to recognise the work that moves marketing forward," says Prakash Patel, Co-Founder of the Mark Awards. "Today the most effective work rarely sits neatly in one discipline. It brings together strategy, creativity, technology and leadership to deliver real business results. That's the kind of work this programme is designed to celebrate."
The programme builds on the momentum of its inaugural event in August 2025, which brought together more than 160 senior agency leaders and marketers in the Cape Winelands, adds the agency.
The first awards cycle attracted more than 300 entries from 42 agencies, with small, medium and large agencies all represented. The judging framework is designed to ensure both deep specialist work and broader through-the-line campaigns compete on equal footing, reflecting the diverse ways modern marketing teams create value.
At the first ceremony, Halo was named Agency of the Year (Medium) and Retroviral Agency of the Year (Small), with Halo also receiving the Ken Preston Trophy for best overall performance.
Best of Show honours were awarded to Retroviral in Strategy (Showmax), OLIVER in Experience (Dove), Design Bridge & Partners in Design (Standard Bank) and Halo in Leadership, concludes the awards.
For more information, visit www.themarkawards.com. You can also follow MarkLives on Facebook, LinkedIn, or on X.
*Image courtesy of contributor