What Epica Awards does

Epica Awards operates an international creative competition platform founded in 1987 and operated by Maydream SAS under parent company Maydream Inc. The competition is the only global creative prize judged exclusively by journalists — a jury of more than 200 editors and senior reporters from over 60 countries evaluates submissions across 77 categories covering Film, Print, Digital, Innovation, PR, Media, Design, and Responsibility, plus seven Grand Prix awards and a Responsibility Grand Prix. The platform serves advertising agencies, PR agencies, design studios, film production companies, professional photographers, and brands that submit creative work for evaluation, with winners gaining visibility through interviews, articles, social media, international exhibitions, and inclusion in the annual Epica Awards Book.

The underlying technology stack is a set of web-based properties: an online entry and registration system at registration.epica-awards.com, a winners showcase at winners.epica-awards.com, and a separate press club at pressclub.epica-awards.com. Payments are processed via Stripe; the company is GDPR- and CCPA-compliant and operates a dual-office footprint (Paris headquarters and New York regional office). No AI/ML, mobile app, SDK, or public API capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is a transactional, self-serve model with three revenue streams: tiered competition entry fees (€339 Print, €390 Film/Radio, €439 Alternative/Digital, €649 Integrated Campaigns, plus a €200 company registration fee waived during early bird), sales of duplicate trophies and certificates through an email-based shop, and professional services revenue from the annual Epica Awards Book. Late entries incur a 10% surcharge, professional photographers receive a discounted €100 rate, and French TVA applies to French-domiciled buyers.

Name

Epica Awards

Legal name

Maydream Inc.

Website

https://epica-awards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Epica Awards operates a 39-year-old international creative competition platform judged exclusively by 200+ journalists from 60+ countries, serving agencies, studios, brands, and creatives submitting work across 77 categories for annual recognition and press visibility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Awards Competition

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events (MPAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting) (MPAGAOAN)

Keywords

• Creative awards competition
• Advertising industry recognition
• Journalist-judged creative prize
• Creative communications awards
• Marketing awards platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Competition Entry Fees: Tiered entry fee structure based on media type: Print entries €339, Film/Radio €390, Alternative/Digital €439, Integrated Campaigns €649. Additional €200 company registration fee (waived during early bird). Professional photographers receive discounted rate of €100 per entry in Advertising Photography category with company fee waived.
2. Trophy and Certificate Store: Sale of duplicate trophies, certificates, and Brand tribute items to award winners via [email protected]. Winners can order duplicates of their original trophy, duplicate certificates, or brand tribute items.
3. Epica Awards Book: Yearly publication showcasing winning work. Entry data may be processed for publication in the yearly Epica Awards Book.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Epica Awards is an international creative competition for the advertising, marketing, and communications industry, accepting entries from agencies, brands, PR firms, design studios, photographers, and production companies across print, outdoor, film, radio, digital, PR, and craft categories. Entries are submitted online with tiered fees and deadlines, judged exclusively by a panel of more than 200 trade journalists from over 60 countries, and winners are announced annually and showcased on the Epica website and in a printed yearbook.

Product overview

Epica Awards is an international creative awards competition platform offering a single unified award program where creative agencies, studios, brands, and professionals submit work across 77 categories for judging by over 200 journalists and senior editors from more than 60 countries. The platform encompasses the core awards competition with multiple media type submissions (TV, Print, Alternative, Online Video, Digital, Radio, Integrated), a dedicated winners showcase for recognized work, a press club for industry media coverage, and an online entry submission system. The awards culminate in an annual ceremony awarding crystal pyramid trophies including seven Grand Prix categories (Film, Print, Innovation, Digital, PR, Media, Design) plus a Responsibility Grand Prix.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Epica Awards Competition Annual international creative competition accepting entries from agencies, brands, PR firms, design studios, photographers, and production companies across print, outdoor, film, radio, digital, PR, design, photography, and craft categories; submissions are judged by 200+ trade editors from over 60 countries and the winners are announced each year.
• Epica Online Entry/Submission Platform Web-based system for entering creative work into the competition, including category selection, media upload, and tiered entry fee processing (early bird, regular, and late-entry penalty with a 10-day grace period).
• Epica Winners Showcase Public online gallery of winning campaigns and credited agencies/brands, used for showcasing results after the annual ceremony.
• Epica Press Club Membership area for accredited trade media and journalists participating in the competition's judging panels and editorial coverage of the awards.
• Epica Awards Book (Annual Yearbook) Annual printed yearbook presenting the competition winners and shortlists; available in print and digital versions and sold via the Epica website.
• Epica Trophy and Certificate Store Direct-order merchandise offering for winners, including trophies and certificates, ordered via the Epica awards email channel.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Creative Circle (UK)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 July 2026Partnership with the UK Creative Circle awards. Under the agreement, Creative Circle Gold and Grand Prix winners receive a free second entry to Epica. All Creative Circle winners receive a €200 discount after the Early Bird period ends September 1st. Creative Circle is an 81-year-old awards ceremony celebrating British creativity, with a Creative Foundation that helps underrepresented youth enter the creative industry.
• MAD STARScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Epica Awards announced partnership with MAD STARS, expanding its presence in the Asian creative awards ecosystem. MAD STARS is a major creative awards festival in South Korea.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: The pre-eminent global creative awards competition for the advertising and marketing industry. Competes directly with Epica for the same agency entry budgets across film, print, digital, and integrated categories.
• D&AD: UK-based international creative awards judged by industry practitioners, covering advertising, design, and digital. Targets the same multinational and boutique agency clients as Epica.
• Clio Awards: Long-running international creative awards for advertising with categories in film, print, digital, design, and entertainment. Direct competitor for agency entry fees and global brand recognition.
• The One Show: The One Club's flagship creative awards covering advertising, interactive, design, and branded entertainment. Competes for the same global agency entries and Cannes Lions attendee mindshare.
• The Drum Awards: Digital-marketing-focused creative awards covering media, advertising, and design. Stronger in digital and content marketing categories where Epica is also expanding.
• ADC (Art Directors Club) Awards: International creative awards focused on craft, design, and art direction in advertising. Overlaps with Epica's design, print, and craft categories among design-led agencies.
• MAD STARS: South Korean creative advertising awards festival. Recent strategic partner of Epica, with overlapping target clients in the Asia-Pacific creative community.

Regional players

• Lovie Awards: European-focused digital and internet awards. Comparable to Epica's Digital category but regionally concentrated on European entries and EU-based creators.

Broad incumbents

• Webby Awards: International awards organization covering internet excellence across websites, video, advertising, apps, and more. Broader scope than Epica but overlapping in digital advertising categories.
• Effie Awards: Global marketing effectiveness awards program. Broader in scope (effectiveness vs. creativity) but addresses the same brand and agency marketing leaders who also participate in Epica.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/epicaawards
• Facebookfacebook.com/EpicaAwards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epica-awards

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Epica Awards