New York: The London International Awards (LIA) has announced the launch of its new Democracy and Human Rights category for 2026, developed with support from the European Parliament. The category will recognise creative work that promotes free expression, fair representation, accountability and essential freedoms that enable democracy to thrive and human rights to be protected.
The category draws on the power of creativity and advertising to influence public discourse and bring important social issues to wider attention. From historical movements such as the campaign for women’s right to vote, which used pamphlets, posters and newspaper advertisements to advocate for suffrage, to contemporary campaigns addressing fundamental freedoms, creative ideas have played a role in shaping public opinion and driving social change.
The introduction of the category comes against a backdrop in which data indicates that 89.6% of the world’s population lives with limited human freedom. LIA said entries in the new category must demonstrate how creativity was a deciding factor in advancing democratic and human-rights principles and delivering meaningful impact at a local, national, continental or global level.
The category is not intended to promote political candidates or parties. Instead, it focuses on creative work that contributes to strengthening democratic participation, protecting fundamental rights and encouraging accountability.
Commenting on the category, Anthony Chelvanathan, Democracy and Human Rights Jury President and Global Creative Partner and CCO, Edelman Canada, said, “I’m incredibly honored to chair its first jury, a role that feels especially meaningful given my own background fleeing conflict.”
As Edelman’s first-ever Global Creative Partner and Chief Creative Officer for Canada, Chelvanathan leads creative innovation and strategic direction across more than 60 offices, working alongside Judy John, the agency’s Global CCO.
The inaugural Democracy and Human Rights jury brings together professionals with direct experience of human-rights issues and advocacy. Among them is Diane Foley, President and Founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which she established in September 2014 following the public beheading of her son, James W. Foley, an American freelance conflict journalist, in Syria.
Foley has since led efforts through the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation to support hostage safety and advocacy initiatives. The foundation contributed to efforts that helped shape the current US hostage enterprise and played a role in the passage of the Robert Levinson Hostage Taking and Accountability Act.
The jury also includes Rob Galluzzo, CEO and Founder of FINCH, Sydney. Galluzzo is the Executive Producer and CEO of FINCH, a leading production company in Australia and New Zealand. He is also co-founder of 36 Months, which led a national campaign to raise the minimum age for social media use from 13 to 16, described as the first law of its kind globally. The initiative was recently presented at the United Nations General Assembly alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The European Parliament has also highlighted the potential of creativity to contribute to democratic participation and the protection of fundamental freedoms.
Christian Mangold, Director of Communications of the European Parliament, said, “When the creative community turns its talents towards strengthening democratic participation, freedom and rule of law, it can and will inspire conversations beyond our normal audience.”
The new category reinforces LIA’s focus on recognising creative work that extends beyond commercial objectives and contributes to wider societal change. Through the Democracy and Human Rights category, LIA aims to spotlight ideas that use creativity as a catalyst for protecting freedoms, encouraging representation and strengthening democratic values.
