TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The 2026 Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Awards gala gathered marketers from across Canada on November 13 to recognize the nation’s top marketing campaigns and the ingenious creative and strategic talent shaping the future of marketing. The highest honours were awarded to Denise Dias, chief marketing and communications officer of the Terry Fox Foundation, named Marketer of the Year for her remarkable impact, and Tavleen Hans, corporate programs marketing manager at General Motors, who was awarded the Achievement in Marketing Award for her significant contributions.
Marketer of the Year - Denise Dias, Terry Fox Foundation
“It is an honour to be named Marketer of the Year and have my incredible team’s work recognized. This recognition creates a positive ripple effect on the thousands of volunteers and supporters across Canada who work tirelessly to keep Terry’s dream alive,” Dias said. “This past year is a great example of how marketing can inspire generosity and accelerate social impact. It has been an extraordinary privilege to help steward his legacy and to work alongside Canadians who support this initiative.”
In addition to Dias and Hans, the winners of the premiere awards are:
Best of the Best: Courage, KFC for “Kyle F*cking Connor”
Top Cause: TBWA\Canada, SickKids Foundation for “The Count”
“Canada’s marketing talent continues to be at the forefront of innovation and creativity, pushing boundaries and growing brands,” said Esther Benzie, president and CEO of the CMA. “This year’s work demonstrates the remarkable strategic thinking and creative excellence that contributes to brand and business growth. As stated in our recent report, Uncovering the Value of Marketing in Canada, award-winning organizations outperform non-winners on key financial indicators. Award-winning firms have reported up to 39% higher sales and up to 63% higher operating income, compared to their peers.”
This year, the CMA introduced its inaugural Inclusive Marketing Award presented by RBC, recognizing strategy and creativity in campaigns that have leveraged diverse and inclusive inputs and communication formats to achieve outstanding results and relevant representation. Kids Help Phone received the gold award for its “Feelings to Text” campaign.
In total, there were 43 gold CMA signature awards presented across seven disciplines (listed below) and an additional 10 gold featured awards. Notably, Courage led all agencies with 22 total trophies, including 12 gold.
Ten dollars from every 2026 CMA Awards signature award submission and awards gala ticket purchased contributed to a donation for the National Advertising Benevolence Society (NABS). During the ceremony, the CMA announced that a $10,000 donation, raised from award submissions and gala attendees, will be made to NABS supporting people in the Canadian marketing community with wellness and career support.
Awards categories and judging
Signature awards were presented across seven disciplines: brand building, business/brand impact, customer experience and shopper marketing, engagement, innovative media, public relations and sponsorship. Within each discipline, entries competed in one of eight categories: automotive, business, consumer products and services, financial, food and beverage, healthcare, retail/consumer business and social causes.
There were a total of 599 submissions for this year’s awards. The awards were judged by Canadian industry experts, following a two-round process:
Entries in the first round were evaluated on strategy, creativity and results.
In the second round, senior judges and multi-discipline judges evaluated the top entries in the disciplines and categories. The scores from the first two rounds are combined to determine gold, silver and bronze awards in each category.
“Top Cause” and “Best of the Best” winners were chosen from the highest-ranking entries across their respective disciplines and categories.
The judging process was co-chaired by Nuno Bamberg, senior vice-president, brand and marketing at Sleep Country Canada Inc. and Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, chief creative officer at TBWA\Canada.
A full list of CMA Award winners can be found here.
About the Canadian Marketing Association
The CMA is the voice of marketing in Canada, and our purpose is to champion marketing’s powerful impact. We are the catalyst to help Canada’s marketers thrive today, while building the marketing mindset and environment of tomorrow.
We provide opportunities for our members from coast to coast to develop professionally, to contribute to marketing thought leadership, to build strong networks, and strengthen the regulatory climate for business success. Our Chartered Marketer (CM) designation signifies that recipients are highly qualified and up to date with best practices, as reflected in the Canadian Marketing Code of Ethics and Standards. We represent virtually all of Canada’s major business sectors, and all marketing disciplines, channels and technologies. We advocate with government stakeholders and provide Canadian consumers with information to help them better understand their rights and obligations. For more information, visit thecma.ca.
