LIA celebrates 40 years as judging kicks off at the Encore @ Wynn, Las Vegas

The curtain rises in Las Vegas as LIA marks its 40th year, bringing together global industry icons for nine days of live judging.

Reflecting on this milestone year, Barbara Levy, President & Founder of LIA says: “As LIA celebrates its 40th year, this famous ad line comes to my mind, ‘It keeps going and going and going.’ LIA started in London in 1986 and today we begin judging in Las Vegas for our 40th year. We’ve come a long way, seen incredible work judged by the best creatives in the industry globally. This year will be no different. All three rounds of judging will be done onsite. There will be discussions and debates over the work. But at the end of the day, only the best will win. As they have done so in the past 39 years. And the many more years to come.

Every piece of work will be debated and evaluated on-site: no shortcuts, no pre-judging. Which work will stand tall amongst thousands of entries globally to claim a coveted LIA Statue? The judging has kicked off in the following categories across day 1 and 2: Creativity in Media; Music & Sound; and Production & Post-Production,  Music Video, TV & Cinema and Online Film, Evolution and Creative Use Of Data, Evolution and Creative Use Of Data.

Terry Savage, LIA Chairperson, said: “It is invigorating to sit and listen to the wisdom of these diverse creative leaders, and even more invigorating to see the focus on awarding the best work, irrespective of country or company. LIA is now about the only global show with no pre-judging: each jury here sees every piece of work. That makes the focus intense, ensures cultural nuances are not missed, and that all work is given every opportunity to be awarded. Here’s to another 40 years of LIA.”

Read the Jury Presidents reflect on from the first day of judging:

Candice Dragonas, Production & Post-Production and Music Video Jury President, said: “Day one in Vegas has been incredibly productive! Our esteemed jury dove deep into some truly inspiring work across the Production and Post-Production categories. The level of craft we’ve seen so far is very impressive. I’m feeling energized by the work on display and looking forward to the conversations still to come.”

Lucas Sfair, Music & Sound Jury President, said: “Today was my first day as Jury President. At first, I was amazed by the quality of the jurors. Then I was surprised by the quality of the entries. The next sessions promise to be intense. Choosing the winners will be tough — the craft this year is outstanding, and the debate will be rich. I’m excited to dive deeper into the ideas and perspectives tomorrow. It’s an honor to be here.”

Linda Cronin, Creativity In Media Jury President, said: “It’s been such an honor to be part of this year’s inaugural Creativity in Media awards. This year’s entries are a testament to the power of brilliant execution, showcasing a wealth of truly great media uses that bring the creative to life in unique, engaging, and unforgettable ways.”

Check out the videos below featuring from Production & Post-Production and Music Video jurors Greg Lotus, Global Head of Production, VML and Caleb Dewart, Managing Partner / Executive Producer, Hungry Man, Culver City from day 1. Day 2 saw Debbie Ellison, EMEA CEO of Croud and Michael Ritchie, Managing Director/Co-Owner of Revolver Sydney share their thoughts from .