The future of creativity is officially clocked in. The Art Directors Club, part of The One Club for Creativity, has revealed the winners of ADC Young Guns 23, its prestigious global competition honoring the most exciting creative talent aged 30 and under.
Widely regarded as the industry’s only global, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards program, ADC Young Guns doesn’t reward a single campaign or moment. It celebrates bodies of work. Vision. Range. And the creatives already shaping where the industry is headed next.
This year’s class includes 28 individual winners and four creative teams, spanning eight countries and a striking range of disciplines: directors, designers, photographers, technologists, illustrators, editors, animators, and creative leaders working across advertising, publishing, film, fashion, tech, and culture.
The 2026 winners reflect a generation that moves fluidly between mediums, values craft as much as concept, and understands that creativity today is borderless, collaborative, and deeply personal.
This year’s winners are:
- Nic Antaya, documentary photographer, Detroit
- Omer Ben-Shachar, writer, director, Los Angeles
- Emma Branderhorst, director, The Corner Shop, Amsterdam/London
- Esteban Cardona Jiménez and Jordan Baron Pories (team), creative directors, Coinbase, New York/Seattle
- Christopher Clark, cinematographer, Los Angeles
- Lucas D’Ascenção, designer, DASC Design, São Paulo
- Victoria Escobar, graphic designer, The New York Times Magazine, New York
- Tom Emmerson, director, Serial Pictures, London
- Vanissa Foo, illustrator, Kuala Lumpur
- Hannan Hussain, director, SOFTSPOT WORLD LLC, Brooklyn
- Chantal Jahchan, designer, illustrator, Pentagram, New York
- Kalum Ko, photographer, director, New York
- Keita Kuki, technologist, art director, Dentsu, Tokyo
- Rachel LeBlanc, associate creative director, and Ryan Cookish, art director (team), Rethink Toronto
- Hayley Lim, designer, director, Montréal
- Michael Lim, animator, Kuala Lumpur
- Renald Louissaint, art director, graphic designer, Brooklyn
- Lucas Luz, creative director, designer, Rio de Janeiro
- Christian Meissner, motion designer, MullenLowe Design Studio, New York
- Mia Meredith, graphic designer, The New York Times, New York
- Metals (team of Chase Shewbridge, art director, and Eddie Mandell, designer), Brooklyn
- Madeline Montoya, art director, Bloomberg Businessweek, New York
- Paladino (team of Gabriel Avelar and Beto Galloni), film directors, Iconoclast, São Paulo
- Lucas Raimondo, editor, Trim Edit, Los Angeles
- Sollin Sæle, art director, Wieden+Kennedy, New York
- Parker Schmidt, director, Los Angeles
- Benjamin Schwaeber, film editor, Greenpoint Pictures, New York
- Beatrice Tremblay-Bégin, colorist, Montréal
- Shy Trutwein, designer, illustrator, After Hours, Melbourne
- Fred Wiltshire, type designer, London
- Antonio Reinhard Wisesa, illustrator, concept artist, Tangerang Selatan, Banten
- Zac Dov Wiesel, director, Pulse Films, Los Angeles
- Tyler Wong, creative and art director, Critical Mass, Calgary
Why ADC Young Guns Still Matters
Entries were evaluated by a 98-person jury comprising creative leaders from 41 countries, many of whom are former Young Guns winners. The result is not just a list of rising stars, but a snapshot of how creativity is evolving across disciplines and geographies.
Winners receive a custom-designed ADC Young Guns Cube, reimagined each year by a past Young Gun. This year’s branding was created by Khyati Trehan (ADC YG19), now a senior designer at Google Creative Lab, reinforcing the program’s throughline: today’s Young Guns are tomorrow’s industry leaders.
In addition to permanent inclusion in the ADC Young Guns network, winners receive a one-year One Club membership, long-term visibility, access to global opportunities, and a seat at the table in shaping what comes next.
What’s Next
The ADC Young Guns 23 class will be celebrated at a live ceremony and party on January 28, 2026, at Sony Hall in New York. That night will also see the announcement of the Creative Choice Award, voted on by the global creative community. Voting is open now through January 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
One winner will also receive the Levine/Leavitt Artist In Residence Award, which includes a full year of mentorship and professional development from the international artist management agency.
If the takeaway is clear, it’s this: the next generation isn’t waiting its turn. They’re already here, already shaping culture, and already redefining what creative excellence looks like in 2026 and beyond.
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