The One Show has been around for 53 years.
This year, they did something new: they created an entire competition just for us.
The One Show Indies is a global creative competition built exclusively for independent agencies, design firms, freelancers, and creators. No holding companies. No loopholes. No competing against shops with 47 offices and a “global integration team.”
Just indies. Judged by indies. Celebrated as indies.
And they asked Mischief’s Greg Hahn to run the whole thing.
The Jury
The 13-person jury reads like a who’s who of indie creative leadership across five continents. Three of them are IAN members:
- Greg Hahn (Jury President) — Co-founder and CCO, Mischief @ No Fixed Address. The agency that turned chaos into a business model and awards into a habit.
- Noel Cottrell — Founder and CCO, Murder Hornet, Atlanta. Yes, the name is real. So is the work.
- Suzanne Powers — Founder and Co-CEO, All&, New York. Formerly McCann, now indie by choice.
They’re joined by creative leaders from Toronto to Auckland, SĂŁo Paulo to Singapore, Johannesburg to Buenos Aires. The full roster includes Ajaz Ahmed (Studio One), Rolando Cordova (L&C), Jolene Delisle (The Working Assembly), Ulrika Karlberg (YARD NYC), Hwee Peng Koh (Blak Labs), Brian Murray (Zulu Alpha Kilo), Mohammed Sehly (BigTime Creative Shop), Ariel Serkin (ISLA), Safaraaz Sindhi (Bananas), Sam Stuchbury (Motion Sickness), and Flavio Waiteman (Tech&Soul).
How It Works
The structure is designed to level the playing field. Entry limits keep the big-for-indie shops from flooding the categories. Fees are lower than standard One Show pricing. And approved indie agencies can enter regular One Show categories at a 20% reduced rate too.
Deadlines:
- Regular: January 23, 2026
- Final: February 20, 2026
Finalists and winners will be announced during Creative Week 2026 in New York. The jury will award Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pencils, plus Merit awards. A Crystal Pencil goes to the overall “Best of Indies” winner.
Two Ways to Save
We’ve partnered with The One Club to make this as accessible as possible. Depending on where you are with IAN, here’s what’s available:
Not Yet an IAN Member?
Enter The One Show Indies and get 40% off your first year of IAN membership.
That’s access to 300+ indie agencies, consultants, and practitioners across 13 countries. Plus video editorial coverage, visibility coaching, and our own awards programs.
After your first year, your rate locks in at current pricing. Permanently.
The discount code will be provided to all One Show Indies entrants.
Already an IAN Member?
Enter The One Show Indies, send us your confirmation, and get 40% off your entries to Top 40: Classic — our awards program dedicated entirely to the work, relaunching in February.
The One Show handles the global stage and the Pencils. We handle the live stream interviews, the custom soundtracks, and the excuse to celebrate your work with people who actually understand what it took to make it.
Different competitions. Same goal: making sure indie work gets seen.
To claim: Forward your One Show Indies confirmation to to***@*********cy.news.
Why This Matters
Let’s be direct: awards competitions haven’t always been built with indies in mind.
Entry fees assume holding company budgets. Category structures favor integrated campaign behemoths. The math often doesn’t work for shops where the CCO also handles new business, payroll, and occasionally the printer jam.
This is different.
“It’s true that indies are having a moment right now,” Hahn said. “But it’s also true that indies have long been the lifeblood of breakthrough and brilliant work in the corpus of advertising.”
(Yes, he said “corpus.” In a press release. This is why we like him.)
The One Club is a nonprofit. Revenue from entries goes back into education and career development programs for creatives at every level.
Enter your best work. Potentially win a Pencil. Stack the discounts. Support an organization that actually invests in the industry.
Not a complicated decision.
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