Future Leader Awards

Year after year, industry lists honor executives in prominent roles who are already in the headlines. But what about the leaders you haven’t heard about yet? The Future Leader Awards recognize the next generation of talent — professionals with 10 years of experience or less who are already making a significant impact in their roles.
Planning to submit this year? Access everything you’ll need to join the ranks of past winners — including leaders from The New York Times, TRUFF and Starface. You’ll find our entry kit, expert tips for crafting a strong submission and past coverage of this program, click here.
Submit your entries nowKey Dates
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Early Deadline: Nov 14, 2025$379 per entry
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Regular Deadline: Jan 09, 2026$479 per entry
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Last Chance Deadline: Feb 20, 2026$599 per entry
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Categories
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Rising Agency Leader
Awarding an individual at an agency who is emerging as a leader in their organization.
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Rising Technology Leader
Awarding an individual at a technology provider or vendor who is emerging as a leader in their organization.
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Rising Media Leader
Awarding an individual at a media company who is emerging as a leader in their organization.
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Rising Brand Leader
Awarding an individual at a brand or retailer who is emerging as a leader in their organization and throughout the industry.
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Rising Founder
Awarding a founder who is shaping the future of their industry.
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Rising Innovator
Awarding an individual who is driving innovation and emerging as a leader within their organization.
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Rising Creator
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in the creator economy.
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Rising Marketing Leader
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in marketing within their organization.
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Rising Video Leader
Awarding an individual who is driving the future of video within their organization.
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Rising AI Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of AI within their organization.
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Rising Social Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of social media within their organization.
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Rising Influencer Marketing Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of influencer marketing within their organization.
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Rising Operations Leader
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in operations within their organization.
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Rising Product Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of product development and technology within their organization.
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Rising Sales Leader
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in sales within their organization.
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Rising People Leader
Awarding an individual who’s shaping their organization’s people strategy, culture and employee experience.
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Rising Finance Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of financial strategy and revenue growth within their organization.
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Rising Design/Creative Leader
Awarding an emerging leader shaping the future of their organization’s design, creative or user experience work.
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Rising PR Leader
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in public relations within their organization.
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Rising Brand Safety Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of brand safety within their organization.
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Rising Media Buying and Planning Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of media buying and planning within their organization.
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Rising Content Marketing Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of content marketing within their organization.
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Rising Journalist
Awarding a young journalist who is shaping the future of their industry.
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Rising Audio Leader
Awarding an individual who is shaping the future of audio within their organization.
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Rising Gaming Leader
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in gaming within their organization.
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Rising E-commerce Leader
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in e-commerce within their organization.
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Rising Retail Leader
Awarding an individual who’s shaping their organization’s in-store strategy, customer experience and physical retail presence.
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Rising Supply Chain Leader
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in supply chain innovation within their organization.
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Rising Merchandising Leader
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a leader in merchandising within their organization.
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Rising Retail Buyer
Awarding an individual who is emerging as a retail buyer within their organization.
Judges
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Sarah SharpGROUP CREATIVE DIRECTORBARBARIAN
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Tristan StevensHEAD OF BRAND LEADERSHIP & OPERATIONSGUT MIAMI
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Nikhil KapoorENGINEERING MANAGERGOOGLE
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Olivia LandauCEOTHE CLEAR CUT
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Wade TonkinDIRECTOR, GLOBAL AFFILIATE MARKETINGFANATICS, INC.
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Edward ArrandaleVP, REVENUE AND OPERATIONSWEATHERBUG
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Qianna Smith BruneteauFOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORAMERICAN INFLUENCER COUNCIL – AIC
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Anais RodriguezCHIEF OPERATING OFFICERTHE 3RD EYE
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Meghan HurleyVICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL BRAND MARKETINGCLAIRE'S
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Lauren KaiserSENIOR DIRECTOR, B2B MARKETINGTHE NEW YORK TIMES
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Caroline FennerCOMMERCIAL DIRECTORBUZZFEED
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Benjamin KeyEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HEAD OF PROGRAMMING STRATEGY & OPTIMIZATIONCONDÉ NAST
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Vineet SawantDIRECTOR, MOTION GRAPHICSHEARST MAGAZINES
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Trisha Mauro-BarnettSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PEOPLE & VALUESBOND BRAND LOYALTY
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Sarah DearCEO AND CO-FOUNDERBORN UGLY
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Tania RubisTV HOST | PRODUCER | MEDIA PERSONALITYTHE RUBIS SHOW
Judging Criteria
Judges will be looking for companies or campaigns that can clearly demonstrate success over the past 12 months. Judges are seeking companies or campaigns that have seized challenges and created opportunities and will evaluate entries based on the following criteria: Innovation, Creativity, Consumer Value, Results and Overall.
Judges will require evidence to substantiate all entries. This can include details of financial performance, specific KPIs, creative evidence in the form of a sizzle reel, campaign images, or links to the final project or related sites. The judges will also consider the structure, presentation and clarity of each entry.
Judging Process
Judges will score each entry prompt and consider any supporting materials submitted. After each judge submits their score for the above criteria, the scores of each criteria will then be averaged and then combined to determine an overall score for each entry. The highest scoring entries will appear on the shortlist and winner lists.
Confidentiality
All material will remain confidential to the judges. Only the 'Credits' section of an entry will be made public via the shortlist/winners announcement. If you win a particular category, our team may summarize the entry for shortlist/winner announcements and winners guides.
Partnership opportunities
Interested in partnering with Digiday Media on your next campaign? Learn more about how you can integrate your brand into every aspect of the Future Leader Awards by submitting your information.