shots Awards The Americas 2026: Full Head Judge line-up
Five further industry leaders are confirmed as early bird discount deadline draws close.
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The Head Judge line-up for the shots Awards The Americas 2026 is now complete, with the final category leaders announced across Animation & VFX, Casting, Production Design & Styling, Charity, Use of Music & Sound Design and Concept & Copywriting.
Celebrating creative excellence from across North America, South America and Canada, shots Awards The Americas recognises outstanding work from agencies, production companies, post production houses and creative outlets working across advertising and branded content.
Entries are now open, with an early bird entry discount applicable until Friday 9th January 2026, ahead of the final entry deadline of 13th February 2026.
The shortlist will be revealed on 19th March 2026, ahead of the awards ceremony on 23rd April 2026 at the Avalon in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.
The shots team will also host a day of creative conversation at shots Out of the Box on 22nd April at the Bike Shed in Downtown, with further details to be announced next week.
Above [clockwise from top left]: Sara Eolin, Sara Worthington, Erin Sarofsky, Michael Sagol and Tomás Becú.
The final five Head Judges for the 2026 shots Awards The Americas are:
- Animation & VFX: Erin Sarofsky, Executive Creative Director & Owner, Sarofsky
- Casting, Production & Styling: Michael Sagol, Managing Director, Caviar
- Charity: Sara Eolin, Partner & Executive Producer, Tinygiant
- Use of Music & Sound Design: Tomás Becú, Partner, BAMBA LLC
- Concept & Copywriting: Sara Worthington, Executive Creative Director, Grey
Above [clockwise from top left]: Shawn Lacy, Fuliane Petikyan, Joanna Manning, Amado Stachenfeld and Diego de la Maza.
The previously announced Head Judges for the 2026 shots Awards The Americas are:
- Cinematography: Amado Parame Stachenfeld, Cinematographer
- Direction: Shawn Lacy, Founding Partner, Biscuit Filmworks
- Editing: Joanna Manning, MD & Senior Executive Producer, Whitehouse Post
- Music Video: Fuliane Petikyan, Managing Partner & Executive Producer, Fela
- New Director: Diego de la Maza, Chief Production Officer, Omnicom Production
These appointments complete the full Head Judge roster for shots Awards The Americas 2026, bringing together expertise across creative, production and craft disciplines to oversee the judging process. Additional jury announcements will be made in the coming weeks.
Full details on categories and entry criteria can be found here, with the entry portal available via this link.
