Mark Tungate has been around long enough to know that another awards partnership announcement usually means very little. As Editorial Director of the Epica Awards—the only creative prize judged exclusively by journalists—he’s watched the industry add trophy after trophy to an already cluttered shelf.
However, something caught his attention: independent agencies undertaking work that rarely extends beyond their home markets. In a recent conversation, Tungate explained why journalist-judged awards matter, and why US indies need the international recognition they’re not getting.
No Agency Politics in the Room
Here’s what makes Epica different: only journalists vote. No agency people. No brand marketers. Just reporters who spend their days looking at creative work across markets and categories.
It’s a journalism-first approach that removes the usual politics. No voting for friends. No quid pro quo. Just work evaluated by people whose job is to evaluate work.
Indies Already Win Here
The numbers tell a story. More than 50% of agencies that enter Epica are independent. And they’re not just participating—they’re winning.
“Last year, 58% of our winners were indies,” Tungate says. “And 67% in 2022. Which means the indie agencies support us even when times are tough.”
That’s not coincidence. When journalists judge work instead of agency peers, the playing field shifts. Indies don’t need holding company budgets or Cannes connections. They need good work that tells a story.
How Journalists Judge Work
So what happens in the jury room when journalists evaluate work instead of creatives?
“These are all writers,” Tungate explains. “So there’s a definite gravitation towards great copywriting, great storytelling. They love a good story, well told, even if it’s a case study.”
The journalist jury brings a writer’s eye to creative evaluation. They appreciate the craft of storytelling. They’re detail-oriented. And they’re skeptical about results claims in ways that industry juries might not be.
“They are quite picky about the results part,” Tungate says. “Having said that, we’re not the Effie Awards. The main thing we’re judging is the creative idea. Is it original? Is the execution really cool or interesting or different?”
They’re also tough about identifying ghost work—campaigns that never actually ran. “They write about this stuff in their country,” Tungate notes. “They know if a campaign has been seen or not. They’ll say, ‘Hang on a minute. I haven’t seen this.'”
That accountability matters. Journalists can’t be fooled by work that looks good in a case study but never saw daylight.
The Coverage Gap Nobody Talks About
Tungate has noticed something: American independent agencies rarely get meaningful coverage outside the US. International indies struggle to break into the US consciousness. It’s a visibility problem on both sides.
“It’s not just about [other trad publications],” Tungate says. “There are all these other places around the world that you can get coverage, and they’re really great reporters everywhere.”
When journalists judge instead of industry insiders, different work gets recognized. Work that might not win friends at Cannes but tells a story that resonates across markets. The issue isn’t just geography—it’s about who decides what work matters.
What This Means for Indies
Epica’s partnership with Indie Agency News addresses the visibility problem. US-based IAN members save €200 on Epica entries. The two organizations are building live-streamed content around campaign work, creating journalist network access, and maintaining consistent engagement throughout the year rather than just award season.
It’s built on alignment: both organizations exist to surface work and thinking, not serve holding company politics. Both recognize that independent agencies need reach beyond their home markets.
The industry doesn’t need another awards partnership. But it might need partnerships that recognize how things are changing, and build for that reality instead of the old one. Journalist-judged awards are part of that shift. So is giving indies the international platform they’ve been missing.
Learn more
Epica Awards
Mark Tungate LinkedIn
AdForum
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
