PANI, the Publicity Association of Northern Ireland, is proud to announce that entries to the 2025 PANI Awards, Northern Ireland’s premier celebration of creative excellence in the advertising industry, are officially open for entry.
The 16th edition of the awards will be held on Thursday 20th November 2025 at the Culloden Estate and Spa and will feature 26 categories across a range of mediums, including television, press, outdoor, radio, digital, and magazine. The contribution of media owners will also be recognised as will work on an international platform.
This year’s theme, The Wonderful World of Advertising, celebrates groundbreaking creativity and the extraordinary talent in the advertising, marketing, and allied media industries that are innovating memorable and engaging campaigns in the local market.
Commenting on the launch of the awards, Janine Wells, chair of the PANI Awards, said: “As we come together to celebrate excellence across our industry, it’s only fitting that this year’s theme pays tribute to The Wonderful World of Advertising. We’re here to honour the kaleidoscope of creative expression and I’m confident that this year’s awards will showcase a remarkable breadth of local creative talent – campaigns and ideas that will energise and inspire the next generation of storytellers, strategists, and innovators.
“We are deeply grateful to our generous sponsors this year – Alexander Boyd Displays, Bauer Radio NI, Bauer Outdoor NI, Channel 4, Global, The Irish News, Q Radio, JCDecaux, Mediahuis, Pearl & Dean, Sky, The Sound House, UTV, and U105 – whose continued support make these awards possible.”
Pioneering advertiser Sir John Hegarty has also been announced as the chair of the jury for the 2025 awards.
One of the industry’s most respected creative minds, Sir John Hegarty is perhaps best known as one of the founding members of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), the agency that originated “Vorsprung durch Technik” – now one of the most recognised German mottos in popular culture.
As chair, Sir John will preside over an esteemed panel of judges whose experience spans global agencies such as BBH, Havas, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, AMV BBDO, and more.
Janine continued: “We are beyond delighted to welcome Sir John Hegarty as chair of the jury for this year’s PANI Awards. His enduring impact on creativity and culture make him the perfect steward for Northern Ireland’s premier creative honours.”
Sir John is a past speaker at PANI Presidents’ Lunches and he was featured prominently in the 2017 PANI Awards theme, alongside Saatchi and Ogilvy, which paid homage to icons of the industry.
Sir John commented: “It’s real honour to chair these awards and to do so with such an accomplished panel. We must always remember awards are only as good as the work entered and the quality of the judges involved.”
To submit your work for consideration, visit paniawards.com. Early bird entries are open until Friday 29th August and benefit from a reduced entry fee. The final deadline for entries is Tuesday 16th September.
Sync NI's Summer 2025 magazine celebrates women in tech across Ireland as we continue to encourage more women to enter the thriving sector and address the current gender imbalance. Read the Summer 2025 Sync NI Magazine online for free here.
