MADDYS 2026 Gets Powerhouse Jury: 6 Ad Legends Take Charge

Introduction

What separates a truly credible award show from a trophy factory? The jury. As Indian advertising battles commoditisation and creative fatigue, the Advertising Club Madras has made a statement with its MADDYS 2026 jury lineup — one that the industry cannot ignore. With six distinct category juries now headlined by some of the most respected names in Indian advertising, the 44th edition of MADDYS is shaping up to be the most rigorous yet. Here's why every brand, agency, and creative professional in India should be paying close attention.

The Big Announcement

The Advertising Club Madras has officially named its jury chairs for the remaining three major categories of the 44th MADDYS — its flagship annual advertising awards.

Agnello Dias, co-founder of Spinach Experience Design and one of India's most celebrated creative minds, will chair the Film & Audio Craft MADDYS. Preeti Vyas, founder, chairwoman, and chief creative officer of Vyas Giannetti Creative, takes charge of the Design & Print Craft MADDYS. And Rajesh Ramaswamy, popularly known as RamSam, founder-writer at The Script Room and filmmaker at Coconut Films, will lead the Regional Pride (Tamil) MADDYS jury.

These three join a previously announced trio — Ashish Khazanchi of Enormous (Creative), Anisha Iyer of OMD (Media), and Sabyasachi Mitter of ibs Fulcro (Digital) — completing a six-jury structure that the club introduced during its reinvigoration exercise in 2025.

Early bird entries close March 18, final deadline is May 10, with the ceremony scheduled for July 2026.

What This Means for Your Brand

This isn't just a personnel announcement. It signals a shift in how South India's most iconic advertising awards are positioning themselves in the national conversation.

First, the six-jury model is a direct response to a real industry gap. Most Indian award shows use generalist panels that evaluate everything from a 6-second bumper ad to a full-scale OOH campaign. Splitting juries by domain — film craft, design, digital, media, regional — means entries are now evaluated by people who live and breathe that specific discipline. For brands and agencies investing in Tamil-language advertising, having RamSam — a filmmaker deeply rooted in Tamil creative culture — chair that jury is a genuine signal of respect and rigour.

Second, Preeti Vyas leading Design & Print Craft matters more than it seems. Design-led brand building is finally getting its due in India, especially with D2C brands recognising that packaging and visual identity are growth levers, not just aesthetics.

Third, here's the contrarian take: could six separate juries create inconsistency in how "excellence" is defined across categories? That's a risk worth watching. But right now, the intent is clearly right.

Expert Take

Surej Salim, President of Advertising Club Madras, summed it up plainly — an award show is only as good as its jury. That's not a new idea, but acting on it structurally is rare.

Consider this: in a country where regional advertising — especially Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi — is growing faster than national English-language campaigns (driven by vernacular digital consumption surging past 600 million users), having a dedicated Regional Pride jury isn't optional anymore. It's overdue.

Kavitha Srinivasan, Secretary of the club, highlighted that the jury chairs' involvement reflects the organisation's commitment to recognising the best in Indian advertising — across language, medium, and format. With further juror announcements expected in coming weeks, the full panel picture will sharpen soon.

The brands.in Perspective

MADDYS has always been Chennai's gift to Indian advertising. But the 2026 edition feels different — more national in ambition, more rigorous in structure. Bringing in Agnello Dias, Preeti Vyas, and RamSam isn't just star power. It's a curatorial choice. Each of them represents a different dimension of craft excellence. If the actual jury panels match the quality of their chairs, MADDYS 2026 could genuinely challenge the dominance of Mumbai-centric award shows. South India is no longer a regional afterthought — and this jury lineup proves it.

Key Takeaways for Marketers

• MADDYS 2026 runs six separate juries for domain-specific expertise
• Agnello Dias, Preeti Vyas, RamSam join as three new jury chairs
• Early bird deadline: March 18 | Final entries: May 10
• Tamil-language ads now have a dedicated, culturally rooted jury
• Award show credibility increasingly depends on jury architecture, not just prizes

FAQ Section

Q: What categories does MADDYS 2026 cover? Six groups: Creative, Design & Print Craft, Film & Audio Craft, Regional Pride (Tamil), Digital, and Media MADDYS. Each has a separate jury panel with a dedicated chairperson leading evaluations.

Q: Can agencies outside Tamil Nadu enter MADDYS? Yes. Most categories are open to entries from across India and internationally. Only the Regional Pride (Tamil) category is restricted to Tamil-language advertising work.

Q: Why does the jury chair matter for an award show? Jury chairs set the evaluation standards and select individual jurors. A respected chair with domain expertise attracts stronger entries and ensures credible, consistent judging across submissions.

Let's Talk

Do you think India's regional advertising — Tamil, Telugu, Bengali — deserves its own dedicated award circuit beyond just a single category? Drop your thoughts below. 

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