D&AD Awards 371 Pencils Across Advertising, Culture and Design Categories

D&AD today reveals the Pencil winners for entries across the Advertising, Culture and Design categories, in the second round of Pencils for the 2020 D&AD Awards. The news follows the organisation’s recent announcement to continue their prestigious annual Awards programme despite disruptions caused by the global coronavirus outbreak.

Since 1962, D&AD has stimulated, celebrated and enabled creative excellence and will continue to support the creative community through this period of unprecedented uncertainty. The 2020 Awards recognise creative excellence from the past year in the belief that great work is always worthwhile, often producing better outcomes for all. 

The top ranking countries by number of all Pencils so far are: 

• United States - 143 Pencils 

• United Kingdom - 99 Pencils 

• Brazil - 33 Pencils 

• France - 31 Pencils 

• Japan - 27 Pencils


The top ranking companies by number of all Pencils so far are: 

• Apple - 15 Pencils 

• Africa, Mother London, Dentsu Inc. and Droga 5 New York - 11 Pencils each 

• INGO Stockholm/ David Miami/Publicis and Jung von Matt AG - 10 Pencils each


The total number of Pencils in each category are: 

• Advertising: 229 Pencil Winners
• Art Direction: eight Wood, nine Graphite, five Yellow 

• Digital: 26 Wood, 10 Graphite, five Yellow

• Direct: 20 Wood, six Graphite, four Yellow 

• Experiential: 11 Wood, four Graphite, three Yellow 

• Film Advertising: 15 Wood, six Graphite, three Yellow

• Integrated: two Wood, three Graphite, one Yellow

• Media: 19 Wood, eight Graphite, five Yellow 

• PR: 12 Wood, four Graphite, five Yellow 

• Press & Outdoor: 16 Wood, four Graphite, three Yellow 

• Radio & Audio: eight Wood, four Graphite


Culture: 39 Pencil Winners 

• Entertainment: 10 Wood, five Graphite, five Yellow 

• Music Videos: 13 Wood, six Graphite


Design: 103 Pencil Winners 

• Branding: 35 Wood, 12 Graphite, four Yellow 

• Design Transformation: eight Wood, two Graphite

• Digital Design: 10 Wood, three Graphite

• Product Design: 11 Wood, four Graphite, two Yellow 

• Spatial Design: eight Wood, one Graphite, three Yellow


For information on the Pencil winning entries from across these categories, please see the D&AD website. 

Today’s Pencil announcement includes a further 17 out of the total 34 categories. Additional Pencil winner announcements are scheduled for 16th July, 8th September and 10th September. A full list of dates can be found below. 

While hosting a 2020 ceremony is not possible due to coronavirus, D&AD will be announcing this year’s Pencil winners via their website and in a social campaign designed by Studio Dumbar.

To celebrate the winners in the absence of a physical awards show, D&AD and Studio Dumbar have created a custom Instagram Stories augmented reality filter that reveals virtual Wood, Graphite, Yellow and White D&AD Pencils to the winners. While they can’t take to the stage this year to accept their Pencils, winners can enjoy a moment of celebration by being virtually awarded through the D&AD Pencil Unboxing filter, accessible through a private link that is being emailed to the winners.

Tim Lindsay, D&AD chairman, commented: “We are excited to announce the Pencil winners across the Advertising, Culture and Design categories. Our juries were blown away by the high calibre of work entered this year, meaning it has been another challenging yet rewarding process of selecting the 2020 Pencil winners. Our industry never ceases to push boundaries, challenge expectations and adapt to new circumstances. D&AD are delighted to be able to continue celebrating and stimulating the best work, even in these most trying of times.”

D&AD this year continues to platform the most exceptional work from the past 12 months, following the same rigorous judging process that holds creativity to the highest standards. Famously tough to win, there are no quotas for D&AD Awards, meaning that the number of awarded entries fluctuates each year. In some years, no Black Pencils - the highest creative accolade - are awarded. The highest ever awarded in one year currently stands at seven. 

Winning work will not only receive an esteemed D&AD Pencil, it will also be featured in the D&AD Annual and online archive – the definitive guide for creatives all around the world.