Lumo Digital Outdoor has opened entries for the 2026 Pixel awards in partnership with 2degrees, Vistar and Latch.
The awards offer creative and media agencies an opportunity to turn their most ambitious unmade ideas into live campaigns.
Now in its largest iteration to date, the programme has expanded to include Australian agencies and introduces a dedicated Programmatic Pixel category, reflecting the rapid growth of data-driven outdoor advertising.
Reward original thinking
Unlike traditional awards that celebrate work already in the market, the Pixel Awards are designed to reward original thinking before it reaches the streets. Agencies are invited to submit bold, strategic concepts that have not yet been executed, providing a platform for ideas that might otherwise never leave the brainstorm.
Entry is free, multiple submissions are encouraged and winners will share in a prize pool of $15,000 in cash and $130,000 in media value to bring their winning concepts to life on the Lumo network.
Entries are open until August 7, 2026. Eligible entrants include New Zealand and Australian creative and media agencies in the Industry and Programmatic categories, as well as New Zealand students in the Student Pixel category.
Bridge the gap
Rex Carpenter, creative lead at Lumo Labs, says the awards exist to bridge the gap between creative ambition and production reality.
“Dynamic creative is far past the early days of live weather and countdowns. The Pixel Awards allows teams to pitch their most ambitious and grand ideas. With the launch of Lumo Subtle in March opportunities for innovative dynamic creative continue to grow. Winner of the Industry and Programmatic Pixels will then see these ideas brought to market.”
The 2026 programme highlights three key developments for the industry:
- Trans-Tasman competition – For the first time, Australian agencies can compete alongside their New Zealand counterparts in the Industry and Programmatic categories.
- The Programmatic Pixel – A new category specifically for work that uses the automation and targeting capabilities of the programmatic ecosystem.
- Student opportunity – New Zealand students can enter the Student Pixel category, offering a direct pathway to industry recognition.
Turn ideas into real-world experiences
The programme is supported by industry leaders Vistar Media, 2degrees and Latch, bringing together expertise in ad tech, connectivity and production.
Sandra Scott, Vistar Media sales and partnerships director, New Zealand, says the timing for a programmatic-focused category is perfect.
“Programmatic is giving agencies more ways to make outdoor advertising timely, relevant and responsive to the world around it. The strongest ideas do not use data and technology for their own sake, but bring creativity, context and audience insight together in a way that makes the medium more powerful. The new Programmatic Pixel category creates an exciting opportunity for Australian and New Zealand agencies to explore what is now possible and turn ambitious ideas into campaigns people can experience in the real world.”
Dave Pearce, 2degrees GM of marketing, says the partnership reflects the evolving role of connectivity.
“As connectivity, data and technology continue to unlock new creative possibilities, we’re excited to support an initiative that backs bold thinking from the very start. The Pixel Awards give agencies the opportunity to push the boundaries of what’s possible and turn ambitious ideas into real-world experiences.”
Garth Nicolls, managing director of Latch, says that creativity is the final piece of the puzzle.
“With Australian entrants and a new Programmatic category in the mix, this is the biggest year yet for the Pixels, and Latch is proud to champion creativity in DOOH as a sponsor of the awards. As the team building the winning DCO campaigns, we get to see every dynamic idea the field puts forward, and we’re expecting the bar to be higher than ever. Good luck to all the entrants, we can’t wait to see what you come up with!”
