New for 2025, this award honours creative brand and experiential work that promotes positive change, recognising campaigns and initiatives across all channels that demonstrate broad appeal, purpose and foster cultural collaboration and understanding, says NYF Advertising Awards. 

Entries will be evaluated by a distinguished panel of jurors, led by African Cristal Festival Chair, Justin Thomas-Copeland, ensuring a thoughtful and deliberate assessment that honors pioneering work, adds the awards. 

"Creativity broadens horizons, excites and educates, this collaboration with New York Festivals embodies that. I can't wait to see the work. By submitting entries, agencies and brands will directly fund young African talent from across the continent to attend the African Cristal Festival in Morocco. It could be the spark to change their lives," says Thomas-Copeland. 

According to NYF, the 2025 NYF Cristal Village Award jury comprises:

  • African Cristal Festival Chair, Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO and Founder, KINDRD Global, the United Kingdom and Belgium
  • Kwame Taylor Hayford, Creative Executive and Co-Founder, Kin, USA
  • Andrea Diquez, Global CEO, Gut, USA
  • Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, Chief Marketing Officer, DoorDash, USA, and
  • Shobha Sairam, Global Chief Strategy Officer, USA.

"New York Festivals is thrilled to join forces with the African Cristal Festival on this exciting new initiative, one that celebrates purpose-driven creativity while empowering the next generation of talent," says Scott Rose, President of New York Festivals. 

To qualify for this award, work must embody a strong sense of purpose, inspire new thinking or deeper understanding and change attitudes and behaviours for social good. The award focuses on entries that bridge cultures and deliver messages with wide-reaching, positive impact, says the awards. 

NYF Advertising Awards says that examples of eligible work include, but are not limited to, campaigns delivering human and community-driven brand activation, new product and service launches and activation — with a strong social focus, climate and sustainability change, mental, physical health and wellness impact, disease awareness, animal welfare and human rights.

Entry fees for submissions in this category will go towards sponsoring Pan-African young creatives to attend the African Cristal Festival, planned to take place in Casablanca, Morocco in September 2025. Both New York Festivals and the African Cristal Festival hope that such an experience for young talent will change and inspire lives.

NYF Advertising Awards concludes that the rules and regulations and eligibility dates for NYF Advertising Awards 2025 will apply for the Cristal Village Award. The early deadline to enter the 2025 New York Festivals Advertising Awards is Friday, 28 February.

For more information, visit www.newyorkfestivals.com. You can also follow the NYF on Facebook, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor