A project reimagining menstruation as a medical asset emerged as the standout work at the D&AD New Blood Awards 2026, taking both a Black Pencil and a White Pencil.
Announced at The Steel Yard in London, this year’s New Blood Awards recognized 175 Pencil winners across 29 countries. The total included two Black Pencils, D&AD New Blood’s highest honor, four White Pencils for creativity that does good in the world, 24 Yellow Pencils, 42 Graphite Pencils and 103 Wood Pencils.
The year’s most decorated project was “Blood Stocks,” created in response to the Canesten New Blood brief in collaboration with Design Bridge and Partners. Developed by Jens Kühnel and Kirstine Vilsen from DMJX, the Danish School of Media and Journalism, the project proposes a first-of-its-kind donation model linked to the menstrual cycle.
The concept turns monthly donors into active stakeholders in women’s health research, reframing a subject long burdened by stigma as something with direct medical value. It was the only project this year to win both a Black Pencil and a White Pencil.
The second Black Pencil went to “Young Explorer: Independence with a Snap,” created for Wise by Mohammed Al Sane of Kuwait. The project addresses the moment when children begin needing financial independence while parents still want to provide a safety net. Built around “The Snap,” a physical card that snaps apart to symbolize a handover of trust, the idea is paired with digital features including an activity map and tap-to-transfer.
The remaining White Pencils went to projects addressing humanitarian aid, asylum and menstrual health.
“Play Aid,” by Daniela Santucci and Santiago Cáceres at Miami Ad School Madrid, was created for the Affinity and Canva brief. The project redesigns the inside of humanitarian food-aid packaging as printed play boards, giving children living through conflict something to play with at no extra shipping weight or cost.
“2Integrate,” by Guus Vercoutere and Mats Mondy at LUCA School of Arts in Belgium, was created for the Duolingo brief. The project partners with UNHCR to make language learning a survival tool, helping asylum seekers communicate in urgent, real-world situations as they rebuild their lives.
“Launch Pads,” created by a four-person team at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore for the Affinity and Canva brief, designs period products for girls who begin menstruating young, aiming to make a first period feel ordinary rather than taboo.
This year’s winners were selected from more than 7,000 entrants across 78 countries, with 165 judges reviewing work against the same standards applied to the D&AD Awards. Entrants responded to 19 briefs set by global brands including Twix, HSBC, Duolingo, L’Oréal, Tuborg, Wise, Carrefour and Canesten.
The United Kingdom led the global Pencil count with 51 wins, followed by Spain with 19, France with 16, Denmark with 15 and the United States with 11. Denmark was a standout among smaller nations, winning across all five tiers: Wood, Graphite, Yellow, White and Black.
Now in its 46th year, the D&AD New Blood Awards continue to connect emerging creative talent with live briefs from global brands. This year’s briefs were downloaded 227,000 times in more than 90 countries. According to D&AD, 65 percent of last year’s winners are already in creative employment.
“What strikes me most this year is how global New Blood has become; we had our highest ever number of international briefs this year, and the only two Black Pencils awarded went to work made in Denmark and Kuwait,” said David Patton, CEO of D&AD.
Patton added that New Blood remains focused on bridging the gap between education and industry.
“New Blood is the world’s largest program for students and emerging talent, but scale and reach are only part of the story,” Patton said. “By setting students real briefs from leading brands, we give them the skills to progress and help bridge the gap between education and industry, wherever in the world they’re starting out. None of it would be possible without our partners, university tutors and the wider creative community, 1,000 of whom came to support the students at our private view, to kick off the New Blood Festival last night.”
The awards also reflect the continued support of Design Bridge and Partners, which has now reached a total of 111 Pencils through its practice of introducing the brief-sponsorship opportunity to clients.
The D&AD New Blood Festival with Adobe, the free annual showcase of the UK’s graduating creative talent, is taking place this week at Protein Studios in London. The festival features work from more than 40 university courses, exclusive exhibitions of New Blood Award winners and talks from speakers including Anthony Burrill, Josh Akapo, Seen Studios and Mother.
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