Entries open for the 2025 New York Festivals Health Awards

New Delhi: The 2025 New York Festivals Health Awards, honouring excellence in Healthcare, Wellness and Pharmaceutical advertising, is now open for entries.

This year’s competition has launched with the appointment of two industry trailblazers to lead the Executive Jury panels. 

Allison Ceraso, CCO at Digitas Health, will chair the Health & Wellness Executive Jury, and Kathleen Nanda, CCO at FCB Health New York, an IPG Health company, will head the Pharma Executive Jury.

These creative leaders will preside over the Executive Jury panels, evaluating the Shortlist, curated by the online Shortlist Jury, to determine this year’s award-winning campaigns. Together, they’ll honour inspired work that makes a difference in people’s lives and recognise the best in health and wellness communications.

The NYF Health dual Executive Jury sessions will be held in mid-November 2025 in New York City. The official Early Bird deadline to enter the 2025 NYF Health Awards is September 15.

NYF Health expands its 2025 competition with new categories that reflect the evolving landscape of health and wellness communications. New additions include NYF’s Funny, celebrating the evolving trend of adding humour in health advertising; Creativity in Commerce, honouring hybrid campaigns that drive engagement and transactions; Best Use of Data, spotlighting work powered by research and storytelling; and Managed Markets, recognising strategic pharmaceutical communications.

Also new for 2025: Greater Good, honouring purpose-driven campaigns that use creativity to spark systemic change in areas like mental health, health equity, human rights, environmental sustainability, and children’s well-being. Future Now expands with new craft-focused categories spotlighting innovation in augmented experiences and AI-enabled pharma and medical work.

“We’re proud to welcome such visionary leaders to chair this year’s Executive Juries,” said Jennifer Vizina, Executive Director, New York Festivals Health Awards. “Their insight and dedication will help ensure that the most innovative, purposeful, and impactful work from around the world is honoured with the recognition it deserves.” 

“NYF Health honours the world’s most exceptional creativity in health — the kind fueled by grit, determination, heart, and a drive to make a difference. As a born-and-raised New Yorker, I know those qualities aren’t just what power great work — they’re the soul of this city. I’m proud to help recognise the brilliance, craft, and impact shaping the future of health,” said Ceraso. 

“NYFH is a great show and I’m thrilled by the opportunity to recognise work that blends creativity and compassion, and to help champion campaigns that change lives, drive equity, and elevate healthcare communication,” said Nanda. “I believe in the power of celebrating courage in creativity and am eager to lead a jury that encourages risk‑taking and boundary-pushing work.”

NYF Health Awards unveiled this year’s Call for Entry campaign, “Rewarding Healthy Obsession,” developed by Adam Hessel, CCO at The Bloc, and his creative team. The engaging print campaign dramatises the relentless commitment of health and pharma creatives by showcasing extreme work scenarios.  Witty scenarios include finalising a case study during mid-flight wild turbulence, reviewing edits in a sauna, tweaking copy during a bank robbery, and even a bride approving layouts in a limo after her wedding. The concept taps into the obsessive perfectionism that drives the industry. 

“We wanted to focus on the enduring passion, dedication, and relentless creative commitment that it takes to achieve great work. The campaign showcases the creative journey that’s in our DNA – the best creatives do whatever it takes to keep making progress, no matter what situation they find themselves in,” said Adam Hessel, Chief Creative Officer at The Bloc.

"NYF Health couldn’t agree more with the sentiment behind 'Rewarding Healthy Obsession.' For nearly 50 years, we've been recognising the kind of creative persistence in the health industry this campaign celebrates. We hope creatives will get a knowing chuckle," says Jennifer Vizina, NYF Health Executive Director.