The Retail Media X Awards were created to do something specific: recognise the best work in retail media across the globe, judged by a world class panel of experts, scored against specific criteria and free from commercial influence. The shortlist for the 2026 awards is now confirmed, and the quality of entries made for some of the toughest judging conversations.
Across 10 categories — covering networks, campaigns, technology, data, creative, teams and individuals — the entries came from 15 countries and every corner of the retail media ecosystem.
Retailers, brands, agencies, tech companies and individual practitioners all put their work forward. The range of markets, budgets and business models made for a shortlist that reflects how broad and how varied retail media has become.
An international field of shortlist
The shortlist includes entries from the US, UK, Germany, Romania, Portugal, Turkey, Finland, Norway, the Middle East and beyond. In the Retail Media Network of the Year category, CVS Media Exchange represents the US pharmacy channel, REWE Group Retail Media Connect brings a major European grocery perspective, Nectar 360 showcases the UK’s most established loyalty-powered media businesses, and both Mimeda and MEDYA101 demonstrate the strength of retail media growth in Turkey.
Each network operates in a different market context, and presented a different model. The judges had to weigh these against a single set of criteria — and that was not easy!
Campaigns that showed how retail is both full funnel and effective
The Full Funnel Campaign of the Year shortlist features five entries that each used retail media across multiple stages of the customer buying process. John Lewis x Shark Beauty, Deliveroo Media & Sky and Publicis Next, PayPal Everywhere & OBI, Redstar @ dentsu X with Heineken, and PepsiCo & REWE Group all demonstrated how retail media can connect awareness activity to purchase outcomes under a single strategy.
The Effective Use of Retail Media category drew entries with tight briefs and sharp execution — from the Co-op Media Network’s work with Coca-Cola, Special Olympics Great Britain and The Makaton Charity through to Nivea’s Natural Glow campaign in the Middle East and SOK Smart Marketing’s entry from Finland.
Technology and data entries raised the bar
The Technology Solution of the Year shortlist includes Advertima, Criteo, Footprints AI, Skai (Kenshoo) and SMG’s More360 — a mix of established platforms and newer entrants solving specific problems in targeting, in-store measurement and campaign management.
In the Best Use of Insights and Data category, entries ranged from AI-powered in-store targeting to AMC-led audience strategies and closed-loop measurement with REWE & Barilla. The quality of the data work across these entries was striking. Several submissions showed the sort rigour now expected in how data was collected, modelled and applied to improve campaign outcomes.
Creative work that belongs in retail media
The Creative in Retail Media shortlist is a strong signal that creative thinking is earning its place in the world of Retail Media.
Very & Adidas Coffee Haus, ghd’s launch campaign through Boots, Arla & Nectar360’s Sunshine Effect, Deliveroo Media & Sky and the Co-op’s Makaton work all showed ideas that were designed for the retail media environment rather than repurposed from other channels. Creative excellence is going to be one the key differentiators of the future of retail media. .
The people behind the work
Four categories focus on people and teams. The Team of the Year shortlist includes DOUGLAS Marketing Solutions, Endless Retail Media Solutions, REWE Group Retail Media Connect and SMG’s Media Innovation Team.
Each showed how team structure, culture and delivery combine to produce results. The Rising Star nominees — Sam Mills, Jake Rodgers, Mohit Saxena, Kay Manning and Alice Oliver — all made a case for early-career impact that went well beyond their job titles.
The Retail Media Person of the Year shortlist features Christian Raveaux, Christian Skaarud, Patricia Grundmann and Matt Elsley — four leaders with very different backgrounds but a shared record of building and shaping retail media businesses.
And the Women in Retail Media shortlist — Kına Demirel, Ana Cardoso, Yeliz Yahşi Bilgiç, Katie Streeter Hurle and Jenny Holleran — recognises women whose leadership and influence extend across markets and organisations. The Women in Retail Media was among the most international of entries – long may that continue!
Hard choices to make
Every category produced difficult decisions. The judging panel scored independently, then discussed as a group all in person – with our judges from Australia, South Africa, Dubai, Holland and Germany available virtually.
In several categories, the gap between shortlisted and non-shortlisted entries was marginal. What separated the strongest submissions was not budget size or brand fame — it was clarity of story, strength of evidence and a clear link between strategy, execution and results. The calibration session at the start of judging helped align the panel, and the published scoring scale (1–5, from Weak to Outstanding) gave every judge a common reference point.
The winners will be announced at the Retail Media X Awards ceremony in London on 14 May 2026. To every shortlisted entrant: congratulations. The work you submitted sets a high standard for the judges to select winners – which can only be good for the retail media industry.
