LAS VEGAS, USA — In the glittering heart of Las Vegas, the London International Awards (LIA) marks its 40th anniversary, celebrating four decades of honoring creativity at its highest level, not with the usual fanfare of red carpets and champagne, but with something far more meaningful: the world’s top creative minds gathered for a week of judging, mentorship, and inspiration.
It’s a fitting setting for Barbara Levy, Founder and President of LIA, who has never been one for doing things conventionally.
“When we started in 1985, there was no such thing as a truly international, multidisciplinary creative award,” she recalls. “Clio had a U.S. and international section. D&AD was primarily U.K. Cannes focused on film. The creative community approached me to take their local show and make it international, and that’s how London International Awards was born.”
From those early days in London to the global stage of Las Vegas, LIA has become one of the most respected awards in the creative industry. What started as a small show recognizing excellence in outdoor, television, cinema, and radio has evolved to encompass 29 categories that reflect the ever-expanding landscape of advertising, design, branding, and technology.
“The biggest challenge at the beginning was convincing people they needed another awards show,” Barbara laughs. “But we were offering something new—something global. We wanted to give the world’s creative community a single platform to be recognized, regardless of geography.”
A woman’s vision in a man’s world
In 1986, when Barbara Levy founded LIA, conversations about glass ceilings or gender equality were far from mainstream. Yet, she never saw her role as a woman in leadership as an obstacle. “I didn’t think about being a woman in a male-dominated industry,” she says. “I just knew I could do whatever I set my mind to do.”
Four decades later, LIA remains 100% owned and operated by women — a singular distinction in the global awards landscape. It is the only international creative festival owned by a woman and supported by an all-women full-time team. This independence has given LIA the freedom to evolve with the industry, stay agile, and maintain integrity in every decision it makes.
LIA at a glance
Founded in 1986 by Barbara, the London International Awards (LIA) was created as the first truly international, multidisciplinary creative awards show. n ambitious vision at a time when no global platform recognized excellence across all forms of media. From its beginnings in London, LIA has evolved over four decades into one of the top five international creative festivals in the world, honoring the best in advertising, design, technology, production, and beyond.
Since 2010, all judging has been held onsite in Las Vegas, where LIA gathers the world’s most respected creative leaders to deliberate and celebrate work in complete transparency. There is no pre-judging, every juror votes on all entries in their category from start to finish, ensuring fairness and integrity in every decision.
In 2011, after 26 years of hosting its annual award ceremony in London, LIA made a bold shift: instead of a traditional awards gala, it launched Creative LIAisons, a fully funded global educational initiative for young creatives aged 21 to 30. Taking place alongside the judging in Las Vegas, the program offers seminars, workshops, and rare access to open judging rooms where participants can witness the decision-making process firsthand. Expanded in 2021 to include a virtual component, Creative LIAisons now mentors over 400 emerging talents annually from around the world.
A pioneering institution in every sense, LIA remains 100% owned and operated by women. The only international creative awards festival with that distinction. Guided by Barbara’s unwavering vision, the organization continues to champion creativity, inclusivity, and education, inspiring the next generation to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Global voices, local perspectives
Every year, LIA brings together an extraordinary mix of global jurors, industry legends from every region and discipline. All judging takes place in Las Vegas, and all rounds are done onsite, ensuring that each juror is fully engaged with the work. “We believe in transparency,” Barbara explains. “There’s no shortlist jury. Everyone judges everything in their category from start to finish.”
LIA’s commitment to diversity is also reflected in its jury composition. “You need different voices in the room,” Barbara says. “A campaign that resonates in Japan may not land the same way in the U.S. or Brazil. That’s why it’s so important to have perspectives from all over – from the Philippines to South America to Europe. It keeps the discussions rich and the results fair.”
Evolving with the industry
Over the years, LIA has stayed at the forefront of industry change—adding new competitions that mirror how brands and culture evolve. “We’ve always been proactive,” Barbara says. “If someone comes to us with a new category idea, like transformative business or sports marketing, we’ll sit down with them and co-curate it. Many of our competitions were born from conversations with people actually shaping the industry.”
That openness has allowed LIA to remain both relevant and forward-thinking. Even during the pandemic, when in-person judging was impossible, LIA maintained its standards virtually, proving that its spirit of collaboration and excellence could adapt to any challenge.
Creative LIAisons: Investing in the future
The Creative LIAisons program remains one of Barbara’s proudest achievements. “We spoke to global leaders in 2011 and told them we wanted to stop doing an awards show,” she recalls. “They were surprised, but when we said we wanted to invest in young creatives instead, everyone agreed it was the right move.”
Funded entirely by LIA, the program covers travel, accommodation, and mentorship costs for participants. Today, it is recognized as one of the most sought-after learning experiences in the industry, combining talks, workshops, and live access to LIA’s open judging rooms. Many alumni have gone on to become creative directors and industry leaders, crediting Creative LIAisons for shaping their careers.
“We wanted to give young creatives something invaluable – access,” Barbara says. “They can sit in on judging, see how top creatives think, debate, and decide. It’s completely transparent. That’s what makes it powerful.”
Looking Ahead
As LIA celebrates its 40th year, Barbara remains focused on the future—continuing to honor creative excellence while nurturing the next generation. “We follow where the industry is going,” she says. “We listen, we adapt, and we evolve. The only constant in creativity is change.”
With that, she smiles, surrounded by a room full of judges, mentors, and emerging creatives at the Encore Wynn. Forty years on, the LIA continues to do what Barbara set out to achieve in 1986 – champion the creative process, the people behind it, and the ideas that move the world forward.
