MAD STARS has unveiled the jury panels for the Young Stars and New Stars MAD Competitions 2026, two global competitions that challenge emerging creatives under real-world creative conditions. Sixteen creative leaders from agencies and companies including VML, Dentsu, Saatchi & Saatchi, Hakuhodo, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Publicis Groupe, Horizon FCB, Cheil Worldwide, Innocean, and ADK Marketing Solutions, among others, will serve across the two competitions.
Spanning markets across Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Oceania, the panels bring together senior creatives with proven experience in mentoring and developing the next generation of advertising talent.
YOUNG STARS is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students of all majors worldwide. NEW STARS is open to marketing, advertising, and related creative communications professionals with fewer than five years of experience. Both competitions begin with an online preliminary round, with selected teams advancing to the on-site final in Busan from August 25–28, 2026 at SIGNIEL BUSAN.
Applications are now open for both competitions, with Young Stars closing on May 25, 2026 and New Stars closing on June 4, 2026.
At the on-site final, participants respond to a live brief revealed in Busan and have approximately 30 hours to develop a campaign idea and execution proposal. Active industry practitioners evaluate the work based on strategy, creativity, and execution, with the jury providing direct feedback. Beyond the competition, finalists join the full MAD STARS 2026 program, including conferences, special sessions, and networking with creative professionals from around the world.
YOUNG STARS MAD Competition jury
The Young Stars jury will be led by Executive Jury Chow Kok Keong, Creative Partner at k2x. With over 310 international awards to his name, including a D&AD Yellow Pencil, three One Show Gold Pencils, and metals from Cannes Lions, Clio, Spikes Asia, and MAD STARS, Chow brings deep expertise across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, where he has spent his career building strategy-led creative work that travels across channels. A vocal advocate for AI-enhanced creativity, he has also served on juries at D&AD, The One Show, Clio, Spikes Asia, AdFest, and MAD STARS, among others.
The Young Stars jury also includes:
- Chandu Rajapreyar, Group Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo International Vietnam
- Enkhbayasgalan Tungalag, Chief Executive Officer, KMG Group
- Karan Novas, Partner and Chief Creative Officer, Tulom
- Mark Verhagen, Executive Creative Director, VML
- Shinichi Kobayashi, Executive Creative Director and Creative Innovation Officer, ADK Marketing Solutions Inc.
- Sunghyuk Hong, Executive Creative Director, Innocean
- Youji Noh, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\Media Arts Lab
NEW STARS MAD Competition jury
Leading the NEW STARS jury as Executive Jury is Mukund Olety, Chief Creative Officer of Open X at VML, currently leading creative for The Coca-Cola Company across Europe. Ranked among the top 100 CCOs globally, Mukund has shaped work for Nike, Mercedes, McDonald’s, Samsung, Unilever, and more, earning over 100 international awards along the way. He has also worked with organizations around the world to mentor emerging creative talent.
The New Stars jury also includes:
- Alex Pineda, Chief Creative Officer, Horizon FCB Dubai
- Hyeah Nahm, Executive Creative Director, Publicis Groupe Korea
- Kayoung Seo, Creative Director, Cheil Korea
- Kinami Hasegawa, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc.
- Martin Tsai, Business and Creative Partner, SAATCHI & SAATCHI
- Michael Ahmadzadeh, Co-Founder, electriclimeº
- Roman Carlo Olivarez, Executive Creative Director, TREYNA Group Philippines
Participants may apply individually or as part of a two-person team through the official YOUNG STARS and NEW STARS application pages.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of MAD STARS 2026.
