South African Creative Professionals Take Global Stage With NYF International Jury Selection

4 Ssouth African creatives have been chosen to sit on the NYF International Shortlisting Jury (L to r:) Zainab Mitha, art director,Joe Public, Robyn Campbell, senior vice president, Publicis Groupe, Martin Schlumpf, executive creative director and Jasmin Vandersteen, mid-weight copywriter, Joe Public (Image by Lesely Svenson @ Bizcommunity)

Sitting on the jury from Joe Public are Jasmin Vandersteen, mid-weight copywriter, Martin Schlumpf, executive creative director, and Zainab Mitha, art director.

Robyn Campbell, senior vice president, Publicis Groupe is the fourth jury member from South Africa.

They will join over 300 top-tier executives from around the world, spanning 6 continents and 43 countries,

The Shortlist Jury reflects the global breadth and diversity of today’s creative leadership, representing a powerful mix of chief creative officers, CEOs, CSOs, managing directors, Founders, executive creative directors, producers, and other key figures shaping the industry.

“NYF’s Shortlist Jury brings together an extraordinary group of global creative leaders whose experience, talent, and diverse perspectives are essential to the integrity of the competition,” said Scott Rose, President, New York Festivals. “We’re incredibly grateful for their commitment and discernment. As the first line of evaluation, they play a pivotal role in shaping the work that moves forward, championing ideas that truly deliver impact and, as always, Show Us Something We Haven’t Seen.”

This Shortlist Jury plays a critical role in shaping this year’s competition, evaluating entries across newly launched and expanded category groups for 2026.

These include Executive Jury–judged categories such as Baked in New York and Creative Marketing Strategy/Effectiveness (including Sports), alongside expanded areas like Future Now, Design, Package & Product Design, and Creativity in Commerce, among others.

As the first line of evaluation, the Shortlist Jury is instrumental in curating the work that advances to the Speciality Executive Juries and final Executive Jury panels.

View the 2026 NYF Advertising Awards Shortlist Jury here

Trophy winners will then be selected by the 2026 Executive Jury. Executive Jury sessions will take place in early June at New York City’s Crosby Hotel’s state-of-the-art screening room. Specialty Executive Juries will judge their designated categories.

The official deadline to enter the 2026 New York Festivals Advertising Awards is 23 April 2026.