Honouring cinema’s most exceptional advertising campaigns, the Digital Cinema Media Awards offer brands and professionals a chance to have their talent, strategy and creative work recognised on the industry’s most prestigious stage.

Key Dates

From the announcement to the winners' reveal

Download entry form

19 May

Entries Open

24 Jul

Entries Closed

13 Aug

Shortlist Announced

08 Oct

Awards Ceremony

09 Oct

Winners Announced

Best Use of Cinema (Small)

This category recognises campaigns under £250,000 (DCM ratecard) that demonstrate exceptional strategic utilisation of cinema.

Nominees

Agria and Dentsu – Big Impact, Modest Budget: Cinema Powers Agria's Growth
Arla and Dentsu – Butter Up: How Lurpak Brought Christmas to the Big Screen
Jakemans and Bray Leino – Jakemans: Marvel in the Menthol
Currys Group PLC and Spark Foundry – Currys - Amazing US
Efteling and Mediaplus Connect – Big Screen Wonder: The Magic of Co-Viewing
Famille Perrin and Be Addressable – Precision on the Big Screen: How a small Cinema budget delivers great results
Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust and BBJ&K – 'You Know Them Best'
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Mediaplus Connect – Talking Futures - Technical education opens doors
Haleon and Spark Foundry – Corsodyl Horror - Blood in the sink
Heathrow and Wavemaker – Heathrow Bears
Penfolds and Bicycle London – Penfolds Grange
Mindshare and Unilever – Pot Noodle Dead Good Films

The 2026 Judging Panel

Maisie McCabe

UK Editor, Campaign

Andy Collins

SVP, Planning UK, Wavemaker

Clare Elder

Chief Strategy Officer, Republic of Media

Davina Barker

Chief Revenue Officer, Digital Cinema Media

Genna Trentham

Client Managing Director, Spark Foundry

James Bailey

CEO Media UK&I, Dentsu

Jem Lloyd-Williams

President, Mindshare and CSO, WPP Media

Jenny Biggam

Founder, the7stars

Jon Stevens

WPP Media President, Wavemaker

Karen Stacey

CEO, Digital Cinema Media

Katie Lee

CEO, Starcom UK

Melissa Wood

Media Strategy Lead, Allwyn

Patrick Affleck

CEO, Havas Media Network

Paul Knight

CEO, PHD UK

Rachel Peace

UK Managing Director, Hearts & Science

Sarah Nugent

CEO, UM London

Will Spence

CEO UK&I, Initiative

Featured Winners

View more DCM Award winners

'Should've Gone To... Cinema’

Winner: Grand Prix, 2025

Team: Specsavers, MG OMD

'Nothing Cracks Like a Magnum'

Winner: Best Use of Cinema (Large), 2025

Team: Magnum, Mindshare

LEGO City & Picturehouse Kids’ Club Build Their Love For Cinema

Winner: Best Use of Cinema (Small), 2024

Team: LEGO, Initiative

JD - King of the Game

Winner: Best Creative Use of Cinema, 2023

Team: JD Sports, Smart Media

LEGO Retail Partnership Bespoke Idents Houseperson with Children 30" <30" Winner Initiative

LEGO

LEGO’s challenge was that interest among young boys had begun to drop, and sales were slowing so the brand needed to build awareness, re-establish engagement to ultimately deliver increased sales and stronger loyalty.

+6%

YOY increase in brand awareness, reaching almost 70% and exceeding expectations

+18%

growth in active consumer share among boys aged 3–5, surpassing LEGO’s goal and demonstrating the effectiveness of the high-impact, hands-on media strategy

IKEA Retail AGP Adults 60" Winner iProspect

IKEA (2022)

IKEA needed to bounce back post-Covid 19 and get people back to its stores once they reopened – and to do this successfully, IKEA needed to feel like part of the community.

+31%

increase in footfall YOY, with media driving an additional 2m visits and £45m in-store revenue

+24%

improvement in Media ROI YOY across 2022, delivering more for less despite fluctuating budgets

Ernest Jones Retail AGP Cinemapper ABC1 Adults 30" <30" Winner Bountiful Cow

Ernest Jones

Ernest Jones wanted to promote its luxury associations on a wider national level, looking at driving mass reach but with a proximity focus to support its key outlets. Ernest Jones chose cinema as they wanted to prioritise targeting in a premium environment that provides content that influences and creates emotional connections.

+39%

uplift in those who said they would consider shopping at Ernest Jones

increase in attributed sales in targeted stores vs. 2019, outperforming other Ernest Jones’ outlets by 3%.

Mind Charity Film Pack 16-34 Men 60" Awareness Winner

Mind

Whilst Mind has been gaining visibility and relevancy in recent years, there is still a gap in take up of mental health support services in certain groups. One of the most vulnerable groups is young men and so, Mind set out to increase both ‘belief in cause’ and association with mental health resources among men aged 20-40 in London.

+7%

uplift in the understanding of Mind’s mental health support

+13%

increase in Mind’s ‘belief in cause’ score amongst key audience

Awards

Digital Cinema Media Awards 2026