The Abby Awards 2025: Awards Governing Council, jury chairs, new categories announced

New Delhi: Marking its 56^th edition, this year’s Abby Awards ceremony will be held on May 21, 22, and 23, during Goafest 2025, jointly hosted by The Advertising Club and the Advertising Agencies Association of India, at the Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage and Horizon, Goa. 

The Awards Governing Council (AGC), comprising members of The Advertising Club and Advertising Agencies Association of India, has been announced:

The Advertising Club:

1. Ajay Kakar, Chairman of the AGC  and Head - Corporate Branding, Adani Group
2. Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO - India and South Asia, FCB, and Co-chair of the AGC
3. Rana Barua, President of The Advertising Club and Group CEO of Havas India, South East and North Asia
4. Alok Lall, Executive Director, McCann World Group India 
5. Subramanyeswar S., Group CEO, MullenLowe LintasGroup & Chief Strategy Officer - APAC, MullenLoweGlobal
6. Ajay Chandwani, Managing Committee Member, The Advertising Club

Advertising Agencies Association of India:

1. Prasanth Kumar, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India and CEO of GroupM, South Asia
2. Anupriya Acharya, CEO South Asia, Publicis Groupe
3. Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands India
4. Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World
5. Mohit Joshi, Co-chair of the Goafest 2025 Organising Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Havas Media Network India
6. Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman of the Goafest 2025 Organising Committee and Founder of Another Idea

Jury Chairs for the Abby Awards 2025 are:

• Anupama Ramaswamy of Havas Worldwide India, 
• Ashish Chakravarty of McCann WorldGroup, 
• Ashish Khazanchi of Enormous Brands, 
• Ashwini Deshpande of Elephant Design, 
• Chandani Samadaria of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, 
• Chandni Shah of FCB Kinnect, 
• Niraj Ruparel of WPP & GroupM, India, 
• P G Aditya of Talented,
• Praful Akali of Medulla Communications, 
• Prateek Bhardwaj of Lowe Lintas, 
• Priya Shivakumar of DDB Mudra Group, 
• Raj Kamble of Famous Innovations, 
• Raj Deepak Das of Leo Burnett, Publicis Groupe, 
• Rajiv Beotra of HT Media Ltd., 
• Russell Barrett of TBWA\ India, 
• Senthil Kumar of VML and
• Tista Sen, a Creative Brand Consultant. 

Entries for the Awards 2025 Powered by One Show are now officially open.

This year, three new categories under the Media ABBYs have been introduced — Small Budget Big Impact, Sports Marketing, and Micro Marketing — bringing the total to 24 categories. 

The Creative ABBYs will feature 23 categories with 232 sub-categories.

Ajay Kakar, Chairman, Awards Governing Council, The Abby Awards and Managing Committee Member, The Advertising Club, said "The ABBY Awards Powered by One Show stand as a testament to the boundless creativity and innovation within our industry. Each year, we witness transformative ideas that challenge norms and drive conversations. With the introduction of new categories and the participation of diverse creative minds, we are poised to celebrate the inspiring work and the daring people behind it. Work that not only showcases excellence but also inspires the next generation of storytellers. With the illustrious Awards Governing Council and an exceptional panel of Jury Chairs at the helm, we are confident that the best among the best work will be identified and celebrated. We eagerly await the entries that will define the creative landscape of 2025."