The Pepper Creative Awards Trust is all set to celebrate the 20th edition of its Pepper Awards, one of South India’s most respected platforms recognising excellence in advertising, design, digital, film, content and other forms of creative communication. 

The landmark edition was officially announced at a press conference in Kochi, which was attended by Josy Paul, chairperson and CCO, BBDO India, as chief guest, with Prathap Suthan, co-founder and CCO, Bang In The Middle, as guest of honour. The duo are also part of the jury for this year's awards (full jury will be revealed shortly). Paul was the first jury chairperson, while Suthan is the mentor for the awards.

For this edition, the Pepper Awards 2026 will celebrate creative work from across India, expanding beyond its traditional South Indian footprint. 

Venugopal, chairperson, Pepper Creative Awards Trust, said, "Reaching the 20th edition is a deeply satisfying milestone for Pepper. What started two decades ago as an initiative to recognise creative excellence in South India has grown into a platform that has earned the affection and respect of the creative community. This journey would not have been possible without the incredible support of agencies, advertisers, media, creative professionals and our sponsors and  partners who have stood with Pepper over the years."

PK Natesh, chairperson, Pepper Awards 2026, said, "For the first time, we are opening the awards to creative work from across India. With a distinguished jury drawn from leading creative minds across India, we expect the 2026 edition to be one of the most competitive and exciting Pepper Awards yet. We hope to receive more than 1,000 entries and make this milestone edition a truly memorable celebration of creativity.” 

Other attendees at the event included committee members: G Sreenath, R Madhava Menon, T Vinay Kumar, U S Kutty, R Rajeev Menon, T Sudeep Kumar, Sandeep Nayar, Anil James, Lakshman Varma, Varghese Chandy and B Unnikrishnan.

The Pepper Awards 2026 function will be held on 27 November at Bolgatty Event Centre in Kochi. 

Manifest continues to be a stakeholder in the Pepper Awards.