Dentsu announced it won 18 awards at the 2026 London International Awards (LIA): six Gold, seven Silver and five Bronze. Beyond the medal count, the network claimed company-level honors that underline its strength in design and regional media operations.
What Dentsu won
Dentsu Inc., the core operating unit for the company’s Japan business, was named Global Design Company of the Year and Asia Regional Design Company of the Year. Carat — dentsu’s global media brand — earned three regional media distinctions: North America Regional Media Network of the Year, North America Regional Media Company of the Year, and South America Regional Media Company of the Year.
The awards span LIA categories including Design, Health & Wellness, TV & Cinema, Audio & Radio, Digital, Creative Strategy, and Production & Post. Individual dentsu agencies credited in the announcement include dentsu Creative offices in Amsterdam, France, Canada and Thailand, alongside work credited to Dentsu Inc.
LIA held on-site judging in Las Vegas from September 25 to October 3, 2026; winners and the Global and Regional honors were confirmed after points were tallied and announced on November 2, 2026. (LIA is here: https://www.liaawards.com/; the company release is here: Dentsu news release, Nov. 6, 2026.)
Why this matters to marketers and agencies
Award tallies are not direct proof of business impact, but they matter in three practical ways for procurement teams, marketers and agency leaders.
First, company-level honors in design and regional media act as third-party validation when agencies compete for briefs or recruit talent. Juried recognition helps shorten the credibility gap, especially in pitches where creative craft or regional execution are decision factors.
Second, Carat’s regional media wins offer a signal about the brand’s execution across the Americas. For marketers choosing global media partners, regional awards can guide shortlists — provided they are followed by due diligence on capability and measurement.
Third, the distribution of wins across multiple dentsu creative hubs suggests the holding company’s distributed model is producing work that resonates with juries across disciplines. That has implications for how networked creative resources are organized and presented in global pitches.
What’s missing — and what buyers should ask
The announcement lists awards and categories but omits campaign names, client partners and performance metrics. That’s typical for press summaries but it limits what marketers can conclude about business outcomes.
When an agency cites awards, procurement and marketing teams should request case studies that include clear KPIs, measurement methodology and the client context. Ask for A/B evidence, media lift, sales impact or conversion metrics where available — not just creative rationale or jury feedback.
Implications and what to watch
These LIA results reinforce two trends: design-led work remains a visible differentiator in creative awards circuits, and integrated media teams can win regional recognition when they demonstrate local execution at scale. For competitors, the wins underline the value of showcasing regional case studies alongside global campaigns.
What to watch next: look for published case studies from dentsu and its creative units that identify the campaigns behind the trophies. Also monitor whether the company highlights these LIA wins in Q1 and Q2 2027 new-business materials — that will show how the network converts creative recognition into commercial momentum.
