GLOBAL — The Cresta Awards is to go completely free for its 2020 competition. The organizers of the 27-year-old global contest explained the change as “the best way to achieve our objective of truly recognizing and promoting the best work this year, and doing this with a level playing field for all.”
“We appreciate that the creative world has continued to support us this year with some great entries but it is clear that many organizations simply can’t take part as their budgets must prioritize saving jobs, or indeed saving their companies,” said Cresta CEO Lewis Blackwell.
“We don’t want that to stand in the way of our doing the best we can. We are deeply committed to maintaining and developing our recognition of creativity this year. It is more important than ever to promote this industry’s crucial part in business and cultural life as we look to build back economies and society,” Blackwell added. “We never for a moment considered canceling the 2020 awards as we have work to do that can help support the industry.”
Cresta President Alan Page added: “Cresta is immensely grateful to all those who have managed to pay to enter so far this year and we will offer them a full refund while maintaining their entries in [the] competition.”
“The entry system is fully open, with no fees now. We are extending the deadline to 15 July so that organizations that have been unable to enter so far can have extra time to prepare their entries.”
Winners will be announced in September, with a wave of related promotional coverage planned thereafter.
More details on the terms of the 2020 competition can be found online
The Cresta Awards 2020 jury: 19 women, 83 men, 0 Black jurors. If this is ‘the creative standard’ in 2020, Cresta Awards, we need a new creative standard. https://twitter.com/cindygallop/status/1275793158325092354?s=20