LONDON, UK — The winners of this year’s prestigious Pentawards were revealed during a live-streamed virtual Gala Ceremony on Thursday 30 September. Top winning agencies include Supperstudio with 10 awards, Pearlfisher with 9 awards, Estudio Maba with 8 awards, Backbone Branding with 7 awards, and Mousegraphics with 5 awards.
The jury highlighted notable trends among this year’s winners, from using packaging to raise awareness around social issues such as mental health and diversity to the prevalence of environmental responsibility and communications, and reinvigorating traditional household products through bold design.
This year’s Diamond award, the organisation’s highest accolade, went to Moët Hennessy and Stranger & Stranger’s stylish and sustainable design for luxury Cuban rum, Eminente Reserva. The Platinum award winners include wine bottles aged and crafted by the ocean by Rita Rivotti; redesigning ‘spam’ luncheon meat for Gen-Z by Xiaomi; and facilitating conversations around men’s mental health through packaging by Supple Studio.
This year’s Special Awards, which recognise remarkable achievements in packaging design by individuals and agencies, were also handed out:
- Best Newcomer of the Year – Intertype Studio, UK
- Design Agency of the Year – Supperstudio, Spain
- Designer of the Year – Mario di Paolo, Spazio di Paolo, Italy
- People’s Choice Awards, Iliada Olive Snacks by Mousegraphics, Greece
- NXT-GEN, Best Student Work – Gosha Chubukin, HSE Art & Design School, Russia
Now in its 15th year, the 2021 competition received over 2,000 entries from more than 60 countries across five continents, with the United Kingdom, Spain, USA, Russia, Japan, and China receiving the highest number of awards. Out of all the entries, over 500 were shortlisted by the competition’s international jury and revealed earlier this year.
The full line-up of the 2021 winners can be seen here in the Winner’s Gallery.
Adam Ryan, Head of Pentawards commented: “From addressing today’s social agenda to carving out sustainable packaging alternatives, this year’s Pentawards entrants embody the future of the industry. I am always blown away by the calibre of our winners, and this year is no exception, particularly inspiring given the challenges we have all faced over the past couple of years. The Pentawards pipeline continues to prove the unquestionable power of design and set the barometer for the next generation of creative thinkers.”
Founded in 2007, Pentawards is committed to recognising excellence in design, providing a source of inspiration, and connecting the global packaging community through its competition and events.
This year’s winners will also be featured alongside next year’s winners in The Package Design Book 7 by Taschen, which will be released in 2022. The 2022 competition will open with Super Early Bird rates on 21 February 2021.
