The One Club names Talented’s Samyu Murali a winner of Global Next Creative Leaders 2025

New Delhi: Samyu Murali, a creative at Talented in Bengaluru, is one of the 36 young professionals from 17 countries who are this year’s winners in One Club’s Next Creative Leaders, a global competition recognising women and non-binary creatives on the rise.

Celebrating its 10th year, Next Creative Leaders was created in partnership withThe 3% Movement as the free portfolio competition that identifies, celebrates, and provides a global platform to talented women, non-binary, and trans creatives who are making their mark on the world with both their work and unique point of view on creative leadership that’s changing the industry for the better. 

The complete list of NCL 2025 winners can be viewed here.

NCL 2025 entries were judged by a jury of 59 top creatives from 23 countries.  

Murali is an award-winning Art Director and Designer dedicated to amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities in advertising and beyond. She’s spearheaded cultural work in both the US and Indian markets for brands such as Google, Cadbury, Britannia and Dell.

Murali’s always held the notion that advertising is an art form with the potential to create meaningful societal change. This conviction influences her work, which frequently explores themes of linguistic diversity, representation of minority cultures, and critical conversations around gender equality.

Beyond advertising, she’s led side projects that align with her creative ethos. She’s part of the leadership board at Indian Creative Women. Here, she drives partnerships resulting in transformative policy shifts and unprecedented opportunities for women.

Murali’s journey from executing campaigns to reshaping industry systems reflects her belief that creative leadership means building the future. In an effort to nurture diverse talent, she regularly mentors emerging creatives and has guest lectured at institutions including Savannah College of Art and Design, Miami Ad School, and DeMontfort University.

A special virtual NCL winners celebration will be held on November 6 and include a celebration of all winners and a discussion with winners over the years. 

“For more than two decades, The One Club has provided programming that helps improve the industry's diversity and gender equality,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club.  “Next Creative Leaders is one of our fast-growing programs because it identifies, elevates and gives voice to creatives around the world, like Talented’s Samyu Murali, who are making a real difference, opening doors and inspiring the next generation.”

Eligible participants for NCL were those who are stepping into leadership roles, including copywriters, art directors, designers, ACDs, content creators, and recently promoted creative and design directors with less than one year in the role, and creative teams who are doing game-changing work. 

They were judged on four to six pieces of creative work and information about how they — and their work — are pushing the industry forward and making a positive contribution in terms of diversity, mentoring, and advocacy.  

Each NCL winner receives a one-year complimentary individual membership with The One Club, with opportunities to serve on juries for one of The One Club’s awards programs, and receive a complimentary ticket to a One Club professional development conference ($1,000+ value), panels, and mentorship events.