Google has officially opened submissions for the 2026 edition of the YouTube Works Awards Southeast Asia, expanding its focus on performance-driven creativity with a new category centered on artificial intelligence.
Organized in collaboration with Deloitte, the annual awards program recognizes brands, agencies, and businesses that deliver measurable results through YouTube campaigns across Southeast Asia.
YouTube Works Awards SEA highlights performance-driven campaigns
The YouTube Works Awards continues to position itself as a benchmark for effectiveness in digital video advertising, emphasizing campaigns that go beyond creative execution to deliver real business outcomes.
Returning categories for 2026 include:
- The Big Bang – campaign launches with strong impact
- Multiformat Storytelling – cross-format execution (Shorts, long-form, Connected TV)
- Brands & Creators – brand and creator collaborations
- Masters of Media – strategic media planning and execution
- Best of Festive – seasonal campaign effectiveness
- Best of Market – top-performing local campaigns
- Agency of the Year – overall agency performance
- Grand Prix – best campaign across Southeast Asia
These categories reflect how brands increasingly rely on multi-format strategies and creator partnerships to maximize reach and engagement on YouTube.
New AI category signals shift in creative production
A key update for 2026 is the introduction of Best Use of AI for Creative, marking a growing industry focus on generative AI in advertising.
The category will evaluate how brands:
- Use AI to personalize content at scale
- Enable new forms of audience interaction
- Enhance creative workflows and production
Judging will center on “human-AI synergy,” emphasizing that AI serves as a tool to amplify—not replace—creative direction.
This addition aligns with broader shifts in marketing, where AI is increasingly integrated into content creation, media optimization, and campaign analytics.
Filipino campaigns look to build on regional recognition
The Philippines has already seen representation on the regional stage, with GCash previously earning recognition for its #GSafeTayo campaign in the 2025 edition.
As competition intensifies across Southeast Asia, local brands and agencies are expected to leverage data, creators, and platform-native formats to compete more effectively at the regional level.
Submission timeline and eligibility
Entries for the 2026 YouTube Works Awards Southeast Asia are now open, with key details as follows:
- Submission deadline: April 30, 2026
- Eligibility period: Campaigns run from March 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026
Deloitte will oversee the judging process, with winners selected by a panel of marketing and creative leaders from across the region.
YouTube’s role in Southeast Asia’s digital economy
The continued expansion of the YouTube Works Awards reflects the platform’s growing role in Southeast Asia’s digital economy, where video content remains a primary driver of engagement, commerce, and brand growth.
With the addition of AI-focused recognition, the 2026 program underscores how the next phase of digital advertising will be shaped by the intersection of data, automation, and human creativity.
