Pepper Creative Awards Trust Announces Pan-India Expansion for 20th Milestone Edition

The Pepper Creative Awards Trust has officially announced the launch of its 20th milestone edition. The call for entries for Pepper Awards 2026 was jointly launched by Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of BBDO India, and Prathap Suthan, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Bang In The Middle.

Established two decades ago to recognize excellence in advertising, design, digital, film, content, and other forms of creative communication, the platform has traditionally focused on South India. For its upcoming 20th edition, the awards are expanding their footprint by opening entries to creative work from across India for the first time.

K. Venugopal, Chairman of the Pepper Creative Awards Trust, noted the significance of reaching the 20-year milestone. He credited the platform's growth and standing within the creative community to the support of agencies, advertisers, media, creative professionals, sponsors, and partners.

With the pan-India expansion and growing participation from agencies, brands, and creative professionals, the organizers expect to receive more than 1,000 entries for this edition. The event will also feature a distinguished jury comprising leading creative professionals from across the country.

P.K. Natesh, Chairman of Pepper Awards 2026, highlighted that drawing a jury from leading creative minds nationwide will make the upcoming event particularly competitive. The main awards function is scheduled to take place on November 27, 2026, at the Bolgatty Event Centre in Kochi.

The launch event was attended by Pepper Trust Chairman K. Venugopal, Secretary G. Sreenath, Treasurer R. Madhava Menon, and other trustees including T. Sudeep Kumar, Rajeev Menon, U.S. Kutty, Varghese Chandy, P.K. Natesh, Lakhshman Varma, Dr. T. Vinay Kumar, and Anil James.

"Expanding a regional platform to a national scale is a notable strategic milestone for the Pepper Creative Awards Trust. By opening entries to creative professionals across India for its 20th edition, the organization is effectively scaling its brand footprint and increasing market reach. For businesses, agencies, and creative enterprises, transitioning from regional recognition to a pan-India stage offers greater visibility and broader benchmarking against national industry standards. Milestones of this scale demonstrate sustained operational longevity and strong stakeholder backing over two decades." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes