- Advertising
- Animation
- Branding
- Packaging
- Graphic Design
- Typography
- Web
Open categories:
- Culture
- Good Cause
- Impact
- Music
- Self Promotion
- Tech
Ultimate Categories:
- Thunderdome
What are the International Creative Awards?
↓Forget what you know about awards.
International Creative Awards recognises the very best of creativity and design from across the world. Raw innovation, wild ideas, unconventional approaches and curious minds are celebrated. This is not your typical competition with gold, silver, or bronze. Here, your work is judged solely on its merit — based on its originality, innovation, and quality. Whether you’re a freelancer, student, studio, huge international agency, or an independent creative, you’re always welcome here. With fair entry fees and a global jury made up of creatives who are active in their communities, these awards are designed to be accessible to everyone.
Categories include Advertising, Animation, Branding, Culture, Graphic Design, Good Cause, Impact, Music, Packaging, Self Promotion, Tech, Typography, Thunderdrome, and Web.
What makes these awards different from the others?
↓The aim is to reimagine what awards are and can be by:
Who can take part?
↓You.
If you produce creative work, whether alone or as part of a team, this is for you. If you commission creative work and want to celebrate it, this is for you. Freelancers, students, studios, small agencies, huge agencies, collectives, creative organisations, ambitious businesses, unofficial groups, weirdos, creatives, designers, strategists, animators, motion designers, digital makers, architects, coders, illustrators, artists, project managers, photographers, tattooists, creative thinkers and chancers.
Why take part?
↓What are the key dates for the awards?
↓Open for Entry: 1st April 2025
Deadline for Entry: 8th August 2025
Judging Begins: 11th August 2025
Shortlist Announced: 12th September 2025
Awards Ceremony: November 2025
Is there an entry fee?
↓Yes. Your entry fee varies depending on your circumstances as we would like to make participating fair and reasonable for everybody. Students are able to enter one project to one category for free. Find out more here
Why was I charged VAT on my entry?
↓As a UK-based organisation, we are required to charge VAT on entries from:
What happens if my work is awarded?
↓What do you mean I’m not competing with anybody?
↓Your work is judged on its own merits, not in competition with others. A panel of diverse creatives will evaluate your project based on three key questions:
There’s no limit to the awards given, if your work is deserving, it will be recognised.
Who organises the awards?
↓International Creative Awards is organised by INTL.
This includes a team of designers:
Beth Wilson (Scotland) – Director
James Gilchrist (Scotland) – Director
Mook Attanath (Thailand) – Project Manager
Nikos Ho (Singapore) – Designer
Supported by a panel of jury members from around the world.
What are the categories?
↓Categories are classified as Field, Open or Ultimate.
Field categories:
Open categories:
Ultimate Categories:
What is the difference between Field, Open and Ultimate categories?
↓Field categories: These are categories with clear, specific criteria or guidelines. They are more rigid and set. For example, categories like Advertising, Animation, or Graphic Design have well-established norms and standards.
Open categories: These categories are more flexible, allowing a broader range of interpretations and entries. They are more inclusive and open to creative or unconventional entries. Categories like Culture, or Good Cause leave room for varied or evolving definitions, and are generally more open to unique or experimental ideas.
Ultimate category: Thunderdome is a catch-all category for the weird, the wonderful, and the work that’s never seen the light of day.
Can I submit multiple projects?
↓Yes, you can submit as many projects as you’d like. Each project must have its own entry form, which can be accessed in the My Account section of the website.
Can I submit one project to multiple categories?
↓Yes, you can submit your project to up to five categories.
Do entries have to be published or commercially released?
↓No, all projects are welcome. The focus is on creativity, not whether the project was commercially released or created for a client.
Who can enter? Can students submit entries?
↓We welcome everyone, including students. To support rising talent, students receive one free entry.
Can you submit projects as groups or collaborations?
↓Yes, groups, collectives, and collaborations are all welcome. Use the credit section on the entry form to ensure everyone receives the recognition they deserve.
Does my project need to be completed this year to be eligible for entry?
↓No. Projects are eligible for submission regardless of the year they were created.
What is the judging criteria?
↓A panel of diverse creatives will evaluate your project based on three key questions:
There’s no limit to the awards given—if your work is deserving, it will be recognised.
Who are the judges?
↓Each category has its own dedicated jury, which you can meet here.
The jury is made up of more than 50 world class creatives who are active in their communities. It is important that each category has a jury who are diverse in background, mentality, approach and opinion. If the jury encounters projects outside their field of knowledge, we will bring in specialist additional jury members as needed.
How is the judging process conducted?
↓1. Independent Evaluation: Each jury member will review your project by answering three questions:
2. Majority Agreement: To receive an International Creative Award, a majority of the jury must answer “yes” on all three questions above.
3. Diverse Panel: The panel is made up of diverse creatives, which means the jury consists of people with various backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives.
4. Changing Jury Members: Since jury members may change each year, the evaluation process could differ slightly from year to year based on the expertise and perspectives of the jurors. However, the core criteria will remain the same.
5. No Award Limit: There is no cap on the number of awards given out, which means if multiple projects meet the standards of originality, innovation, and quality, they will all be recognised.
In summary, the process relies heavily on the unanimous agreement of a diverse jury.
Can I get feedback on my project entered?
↓We are unable to provide feedback on entries due to time constraints and limited resources. The time required for feedback would be unrealistic for the jury, as all of them are active designers and creatives. To ensure the awards remain accessible and affordable for all participants, we need to focus on what is feasible within our available resources.
How do I become a jury member?
↓Put your name forward at hello@creativeawards.international
How do I submit my project?
↓1. Click ‘Enter Now’ on the homepage of the website.
2. Create your personal account.
3. Click ‘Enter New Project’.
4. Complete your entry and submit.
Can I edit my entry after it’s been submitted?
↓What file formats are accepted?
↓You can upload (max 10) images/videos/files etc which showcases your project. This could be photographs, digital images, drawings, moving image etc. A range of file formats (JPEG, PNG, MP4, GIF), links, URL’s are accepted.
What happens if I have technical issues while submitting?
↓What do winners receive?
↓All winners will receive an International Creative Award, a bespoke handcrafted trophy, a digital certificate, and an exclusive digital awards pack. Winners are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony in Scotland this November 2025 to collect their trophy and celebrate their achievement. Selected projects will be showcased at the International Assembly festival and featured across social media and INTL channels.
Will there be an awards ceremony?
↓Yes, the Awards Ceremony will take place this November in Glasgow, Scotland during International Assembly festival. More details to be announced.
How can I promote my win?
↓You can proudly promote your win on your website, social media, CV, portfolio, presentation documents, tenders, applications, and any other platform you choose. To support you, we will provide a digital asset pack to help you showcase your achievement.
Contact Us
↓If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us at hello@creativeawards.international