Mumbai: London International Awards (LIA) has announced Shannon Washington, Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner of 11 Ounces, Brooklyn, as the first-ever Jury President for its newly introduced Sports category at the 2026 LIA Awards. The announcement marks a significant milestone for one of the world’s most prestigious creative awards organisations — as Sports makes its debut as a standalone competitive category for the first time in LIA’s history.
The LIA Sports category has been introduced to recognise creative executions that celebrate original and impactful work inspired by sport — work that harnesses the power of sport and sportspeople to connect with audiences and drive both brand and cultural impact. Every jury member will judge all entries in person at Encore @ Wynn Las Vegas, in line with LIA’s longstanding policy of not allowing offsite judging or pre-shortlisting.
Shannon Washington, Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner, 11 Ounces, Brooklyn, said, “As inaugural Sports Jury President for LIA, I can speak for the jury in saying we’re looking for work that understands sport the way fans do — not as a marketing vehicle, but as one of the most human things we have left. Sport is the last place where everything is real — the stakes, the sweat, the heartbreak, the joy. If your work lives in that world, it deserves to be judged by people who understand what that means. That’s what we’re building at LIA.”
Christina Shaw, VP – Awards, LIA, said, “As this is our first year holding Sports as a standalone creative category, we have curated a very strong jury led by Shannon Washington. Shannon has been instrumental in reshaping the telling of sports stories. This jury is also a force to be reckoned with. There is representation from agencies, sporting bodies and sports channels and platforms.”
The inaugural LIA Sports Jury brings together a diverse and powerful panel of creative leaders from across the global sports, advertising, and entertainment industries. The jury includes Rayyan Aoun, Chief Creative Officer, BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh; Stephen de Wolf, National Chief Creative Officer, Clemenger BBDO, Sydney; Xenia Esteve Castaner, Senior Director, Brand & Marketing, Euroleague Basketball, Barcelona; Sanya Grujicic, Executive Creative Director, Monks, Toronto; Gil Haslam, Global Executive Creative Director, CAA | Creative Artists Agency; Damaune Journey, Global Chief Growth Officer, 72andSunny; Issie Mandry, Senior Creative, MSQ Sport and Entertainment, London; and Jamie Overkamp, Senior Creative Director, ESPN, New York.
Sport and Brand — A Partnership With Proven Power
The introduction of the Sports category reflects a growing recognition within the creative industry of the unique power sport holds in building brand affinity, consumer loyalty, and cultural relevance. Associating with sport has raised visibility for many brands and fostered goodwill and loyalty with consumers — with fans tending to view those brands as partners rather than advertisers. As far back as the 1970 FIFA World Cup, partnerships with sporting personalities have scored big — a legacy that continues to shape how brands and agencies approach sports-led storytelling today.
The LIA 2026 entry system is now open, with a 20% discount off standard entry fees available through June 30. All work released between July 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026 is eligible for submission. Judging will take place in Las Vegas from September 25 through October 3, 2026.
