Final entry deadline
(4 submissions free of registration fees):

October 2, 2026

Online Judging:

October 7–10, 2026

Winners Notified:

October 12, 2026

Gathering of Judges
(Geneva, Switzerland):

October 29, 2026

Volunteer Experience:

November 12-13, 2026

About us

The idea for the Luum Awards came together during the pandemic, inspired by the acts of solidarity seen around the world at that time. The festival organizers created the Luum Awards to recognize the creative works that are promoting a better world, firmly believing in the power of communicators to serve as global change agents.

To promote this goal, every year, we put together a team of first-rate judges, made up of leaders of NGOs, brands, and advertising agencies, to evaluate creative and strategic pieces that promote messages related to making the world a better place.

We are the first global creative festival to go zero-paper. Additionally, since 2024, we have held our events in host cities other than Switzerland, where the festival is registered, choosing instead to host our events in the Global South, where we can help communities in need with investment and social/environmental volunteer efforts. By becoming a volunteer, you can help us achieve our goal!

When you participate in Luum you help us support in-need communities. For example, in 2024, we hosted an event in Peru’s Sacred Valley, which resulted in USD $60,000 in direct and indirect investments entering the local economy in a primarily impoverished indigenous region of Peru.

News

Costa Rica Will Be the Host Country for the 2026 Luum Awards’ Volunteer Experience

Luum: The Creative Festival for Altruists, Registrations Open

Selecting the “110 Independent Creative Agencies to Watch

Tomilli Becomes an Innovative Multi-platform

Leaf No Trace redefines event sustainability

The best purpose-driven creative actions of Luum 2025 were determined in Switzerland last week

The global initiative launched by the Luum Awards

Thousands of associations, communities and small and medium-sized NGOs struggle day-in and day-out to address the world’s social and environmental challenges, without the help of communications agencies or marketing experts. This undoubtedly affects their ability to fulfill their objectives.

Wakii seeks to accompany these NGOs on their missions, so that, with appropriate strategies they can secure more resources and with creativity they can continue to change lives through more powerful messaging. 

There are many “invisible” causes that need our attention, while everyone focuses on the same “trending” issues. For example, we need more people talking about forestry, cultural protection of displaced indigenous communities, education for children with visual impairments, lifestyle support for people with spina bifida, care for homeless elderly populations, etc.

If you belong to an agency or brand, you can become a global change agent.

Changing lives with Luum Awards and Wakii

Luum & Wakii 2026 Venues

Hilton Convention Center (Geneva, Switzerland):

Where we will evaluate the festival’s best submissions

Costa Rica:

The Luum Awards has selected Costa Rica as the host country for its 2026 awards ceremony and volunteer experience.

Meet our 2026 judges

We are convinced that creative communications can help us make the world a better place. We CAN be global change agents! To achieve this, we have assembled a first-rate team of festival judges, made up of leaders from NGOs, advertising companies, and creative agencies from around the world.

Raul Terashima

Managing Partner | Don Mostachon, Mexico

Raúl Terashima is Co-Founder, Chief Creative Officer, and Global Creative Leader of Don Mostachón, an award-winning independent creative agency in Mexico, recognized by national rankings and competitions such as WINA, FePi, and LatamPack. He holds a Master’s in Creative Strategy from IED Barcelona and a Bachelor’s in International Marketing from the University of Monterrey.

Raúl has represented Mexico as a jury member at ECHO Latam 2023 and 2025, and serves as a jury member for A’ Design Award & Competition 2024–2025, Effie Mexico Awards 2026, PHNX Awards, and Sansiss Awards 2026, while also participating as Preliminary Jury for MAD STARS Awards. Known for his direct, no-filter mindset and exacting standards, he has worked with Coca-Cola, British American Tobacco, CEMEX, AXA Seguros, Movistar, and Nissin.

Alex Prezenszki

Head of Marketing | Sziget Festival, Hungary

Alex Prezenszki is the Head of Marketing at Sziget Festival, where he leads the marketing strategy and brand presence for one of Europe’s biggest music and cultural events. He has over 10 years of experience working across industries like automotive, retail, e-commerce, and FMCG, with a strong focus on building digital-first campaigns that actually connect strategy with execution.

Before joining Sziget, Alex worked as Media Director at Mediator, one of Hungary’s top creative agencies, where he oversaw media and digital strategies for campaigns recognized at prestigious festivals like The Clios, New York Festivals, Epica, Cresta, and ADCE. Beyond his daily work, Alex stays active in the broader marketing community by teaching, speaking at industry events, and serving on international juries.

Lucas Santos

Senior Art Director | Africa DDB, Brazil

Lucas Santos is a Senior Art Director at Africa DDB, with over 15 years of experience at leading agencies such as Africa, DPZ, W3Haus, Artplan, FCB, BETC and Publicis. He works on the creation of campaigns, visual platforms and brand narratives, combining concept, craft and strategic thinking to turn ideas into relevant communication.

Sam Wright

Creative Director | Swordfish Advertising, United Kingdom

With two decades in healthcare advertising under my belt, I love taking heavy, complicated science and turning it into fresh, engaging creative. I creae engaging creative campaigns that actually speak to doctors like the actual human beings they are,I craft work that connects with them on a personal level instead of just reciting clinical data points.

Carlos Arias

Chief Creative Officer & Founder | The Prime, Mexico

Carlos Arias is a Mexican-based creative strategist and Chief Creative & Strategy Officer at The Prime México, an independent agency recognized for combining creativity, culture and business growth. With more than 15 years of experience across branding, marketing and communications, he has led projects for brands in banking, retail, sports, energy, agriculture and technology throughout Latin America.

His work has been recognized at international festivals including  Cannes finalist, Effie, FePI, WINA, Antigua, Volcán and Caribe, and has been featured by Lürzer’s Archive, Adlatina and other industry publications. Carlos is passionate about the intersection of creativity, culture and measurable impact, and believes in ideas capable of moving people and transforming businesses. In addition to his work at Prime, he is the founder of Artbank, a platform dedicated to promoting contemporary art, creative communities and cultural conversations in Mexico and Latin America

Winners that inspire

Hall of Fame 2025

Network of the Year 2025: Ogilvy

Agency of the Year 2025: Zubi Advertising, United States

Check out winners of Luum 2025