Howatson+Company and Special Group dominate AOY awards in ANZ

In the 2022 Agency of the Year Awards for Australia and New Zealand, Ogilvy has won the Gold for Australia Creative Agency of the Year. The agency also won a second Gold for Australia Digital Agency of the Year. Meanwhile, the jury did not award a Gold for New Zealand Creative Agency of the Year, but the Silver went to DDB New Zealand, while its Tribal DDB Aotearoa arm also picked up Gold for New Zealand Digital Agency of the Year and a second Gold for Australia/New Zealand Social Media Agency of the Year.

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< See Australia/New Zealand's full winners list >

Initiative Australia also picked up two Golds this year for Australia Media Agency of the Year and Australia/New Zealand Best Culture.

However, independent agency Howatson+Company netted the most Golds overall, winning three for Australia/New Zealand Independent Agency of the Year, Australia/New Zealand Integrated Marketing Agency of the Year, and Australia/New Zealand B2C Marketing Agency of the Year.

Special Group

Last year's most dominant agency, Special Group, wins two Golds this year, down from four last year, but still performed well overall. The Golds were awarded for Australia/New Zealand Independent Agency of the Year and Australia/New Zealand Brand Design Agency of the Year. Special Group also scooped two Silvers for Australia/New Zealand Content Marketing Agency of the Year and Australia/New Zealand Integrated Marketing Agency of the Year, as well as five Bronzes, among them Australia Creative Agency of the Year, New Zealand Creative Agency of the Year, and New Zealand Digital Agency of the Year.

Special Group also has two winners in the people-related categories (see below).

In PR Agency of the Year categories, the jury gave a Gold to Icon Agency, while Ogilvy scooped Silver and Sling & Stone took the Bronze.

Other gold winners:

• OMD wins Gold for second year in a row for New Zealand Media Agency of the Year
• Kiwi independent Together also picked up a Gold in the New Zealand Media Agency of the Year category
• History Will Be Kind took home Gold for Australia/New Zealand Boutique Agency of the Year for the second consecutive year

People awards

Joanne Painter of Icon Agency is Australia/New Zealand Agency Head of the Year. Special New Zealand's Priyanka Patel is The Australia/New Zealand Account Person of the Year, and Jonathan McMahon, also of Special New Zealand, is Australia/New Zealand Creative Person of the Year.

Joanne Painter, Icon Agency

Emma Greenhalgh of Initiative Australia is Australia/New Zealand Channel/Engagement Planner of the Year while Ogilvy Australia's Ryan O'Connell is Australia/New Zealand Strategic/Brand Planner of the Year

Spark Foundry's Keily Brown won Australia/New Zealand Young Achiever of the Year and Hoàng Nguyễn of Howatson+Company won Australia/New Zealand Young Business Leader of the Year.