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Comms Council announces Jury Presidents ahead of Axis Awards
The 2025 Axis Awards Creative Council has announced its Jury Presidents.
Convenor Gary Steele, alongside Jury Directors Bex Kelly and Leisa Wall, say there is a wealth of experience represented across the Jury Presidents, ensuring a judging process that puts the emphasis on category-specific excellence.
Nine Jury Presidents have been selected, responsible for overseeing judging in the following categories:
- Craft in Film: Production Jury President | Sharlene George – Sweetshop
- Craft in Film: Post-Production Jury President | Bex Kelly – Finch
- Audio Jury President | Peter Vegas – FCB Aotearoa
- Visual, Design & Art Direction Jury President | Kristal Knight – Ogilvy NZ
- Digital & Social Media Jury President | Shane Bradnick – TBWA\ New Zealand
- Print, Out of Home & Copywriting Jury President | Melina Fiolitakis – Motion Sickness
- Retail, Direct & Integrated Jury President | Rory McKechnie – DDB Aotearoa
- Film & Branded Content | Brigid Alkema – Clemenger UnLtd
- Media, PR & For Good Jury President | Jonathan McMahon – Special Group
Particular focus has been put on the Craft juries, ensuring a greater depth of craft specialists will be casting their professional eye over this year’s entries.
More meaningful
“Our goal is to make Axis mean more,” says Steele.
“The selection of Jury Presidents is the first step towards a refreshed judging process that will ensure that winning an Axis is a true endorsement of the very best work that Aotearoa has produced in the last 12 months.
“We look forward to announcing our carefully selected Category Judges shortly which has gone through the same, scrupulous approach to ensure that we select the right judges for each curated panel.”
To find out more, please visit commscouncil.nz/awards/axis
