The One Club for Creativity and The 3% Movement have opened the call for entries for their jointly run Next Creative Leaders 2021, a free competition recognizing women and non-binary creatives on the rise.
Now in its seventh year, Next Creative Leaders is a free portfolio competition that identifies, celebrates and gives a global platform to talented women and non-binary creatives who are making their mark on the world with both their work and a unique point of view on creative leadership that’s changing the industry for the better.
Along with naming 10 global winners based upon the highest scores from judges, The One Club and The 3% Movement also analyze the next level of highest scoring entrants to recognize those in various regions who may have scored just below the winning level, and whose work and creative vision the judges feel deserve honorable mention accolades.
Eligible participants are those who are stepping into leadership roles, including copywriters, art directors, designers, ACDs, newly-promoted creative and design directors with less than one year in the role, and creative teams who are doing game-changing work.
Entries highlighting a candidate’s creativity, leadership and unique point of view must be submitted by the July 16, 2021 deadline. To make Next Creative Leaders as open and accessible as possible, there is no fee to enter.
Entrants are judged on four-to-six pieces of creative work, their background and information about how they — and their work — are pushing the industry forward and making a positive contribution in terms of diversity, mentoring and advocacy.
Winners will be selected by a jury of top creatives and diversity advocates, including past Next Creative Leaders winners, and announced at the 10th annual The 3% Conference to be held in Atlanta on November 2-3, 2021.
Past NCL winners include Jessica Coulter, director, O Positive Films; Dafna Garber, CD, TBWA\Media Arts Lab; Neisha Tweed, head of health creative, Creative Shop, Facebook and Instagram; Bianca Guimaraes, ECS, Mischief New York; Ola Sobiecki, director, global brand creative, Nike; Nedal Ahmed, senior copywriter, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam; Gayatri Sriram, digital marketing manager – India and SEA, Bacardi; and Marie-Claire Maalouf, CD, Impact BBDO Dubai and others. A list of all previous NCL winners can be viewed here.
Each NCL winner receives a one-year complimentary individual membership with The One Club with opportunities to participate in future One Club awards juries, and complimentary tickets to a One Club professional development conference ($1,000+ value), panels and mentorship events.
Winners receive a complimentary ticket to The 3% Conference and a potential opportunity to speak on the annual Next Creative Leaders panel.
Winners also each get a dedicated article and winning work showcase on The One Club website, promotion on both The 3% Movement and The One Club social channels, invitation to be a part of the 2022 Next Creative Leaders Jury, and a special feature on the InVisible Creatives website and Instagram account.
“The One Club created its own Inclusion & Diversity Department more than a decade ago, and has steadily increased programming around gender equity in the workplace,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club. “Next Creative Leaders is an important part of our programming because it identifies, elevates and gives voice to those who are making a real difference by opening the door and inspiring the next generation of creatives who follow in their footsteps.”
“The abundance of female and non-binary creative talent in our industry is phenomenally inspiring,” said Kat Gordon, founder, The 3% Movement. “The simple act of recognition serves as an accelerant for these winners’ careers in a way that inspires even more young women to aim high. 3% is so proud to watch this circle of goodness continue to ripple outward.”
Branding for Next Creative Leaders 2021 was designed by NCL 2020 winner Elma Karabegovic, with font designer Zacchary Dempsey-Plante.
