Shiny Awards
Shiny Awards is a London-based organization founded in 2018 that connects emerging and diverse directors with the advertising industry through curated awards competitions, a subscriber-access talent database of 2,000+ directors, and networking events at major agency venues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Shiny Awards does
Shiny Awards is a London-based, mission-driven organization founded in 2018 that connects emerging and diverse directors with the commercial advertising industry. It operates through three core products: the Shiny Awards competitions (which apply industry-first diversity quotas and screen 64 films annually to 190+ judges), the Shiny List (a curated database of 2,000+ emerging directors), and the Shiny Subscribers network (a roster of 70+ production companies, agencies, and post-production houses that use the list to discover talent). In 2025, 70% of work showcased came from directors from under-represented backgrounds, with 41% women and non-binary, 36% from global majority backgrounds, 36% working class, 19% LGBTQ+, and 8% disabled talent.
The business model is based on per-submission entry fees (£29 per video), event ticket sales (£45 per attendee), and access fees from a subscriber network that includes BBC, Saatchi & Saatchi, Mother, VCCP, Omnicom Production London, RSA, Pulse Films, Park Village, and Prettybird. Distribution is event-led, with awards ceremonies and networking events hosted at rotating agency venues across the UK and a 2025 expansion into Ireland via PowerHouse, supplemented by an Industry Access Archive of interviews and masterclasses, Instagram Live content, and newsletter marketing. The underlying technology is a non-proprietary curated database rather than a software platform, and the organization reports no AI/ML capabilities.
Shiny Awards is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or revenue figures, and operates with a team of approximately 8 employees led by founder Caroline Bottomley, a non-executive director, and dedicated functions covering events, new business, community moderation, and DEI advisory. Documented alumni outcomes include a BAFTA win and nomination (Adjani Salmon), a Sundance Official Selection (Charlotte Regan), Apple TV+ and Disney+ credits, D&AD Top 100 rankings, British Arrows wins, and signings to agencies such as Hero Films, RSA, Pulse Films, and Academy.
Shiny Awards firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shiny Awards
- Legal name
- Shiny Awards
- Website
- https://shinyawards.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Shiny Awards is a London-based organization founded in 2018 that connects emerging and diverse directors with the advertising industry through curated awards competitions, a subscriber-access talent database of 2,000+ directors, and networking events at major agency venues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shiny Awards industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising Industry Awards and Talent Discovery
- NAICS
- Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marketing, Publicity & Awards Campaigns (MPADAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)
Keywords
Where Shiny Awards is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Shiny Awards business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Awards Entry Fees: Directors pay entry fees to submit work to the Shiny Awards. High scoring entries are judged by industry professionals and screened at awards events. Winners receive promotion across Shiny's communications network.
- Event Tickets: Attendees purchase tickets to Shiny Awards events and networking occasions. Shiny Subscribers receive free tickets to events as a membership benefit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Entry submission fee for Autumn Shiny Awards |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Event attendance for Summer Shiny Awards |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Shiny Awards product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shiny Awards runs the only ad industry awards competition that applies diversity quotas, providing emerging and underrepresented directors with a route into commercial advertising production. Its core offerings consist of the Shiny Awards submissions and ceremonies, the Shiny List (a curated database of 2,000+ emerging directors), and the Shiny Subscribers network through which production companies and agencies access that talent. Shiny is an independent London-based organization founded in 2018.
Product overview
Shiny Awards operates a platform connecting emerging and diverse directors with the advertising industry through three interconnected offerings: the Shiny Awards competitions (which apply diversity quotas and have awarded 38 prizes in 2025), the Shiny List database of 2,000+ emerging directors, and Shiny Subscribers—a global network of production companies and agencies. The organization also hosts industry events worldwide and provides educational content through its Industry Access Archive. In 2025, Shiny showcased 64 films to 190+ judges with 70% from under-represented backgrounds.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shiny Awards competitions Annual and seasonal awards competitions (e.g. Autumn Shiny Awards, Summer Shiny Awards) that provide a platform for emerging and underrepresented directors to submit work via paid entries, be judged by 190+ industry professionals, and have their films screened at awards ceremonies with 38 prizes awarded in 2025. The awards apply diversity quotas.
- Shiny List talent database A curated and continually updated database of over 2,000 emerging directors featuring work from recent Shiny Awards. Promotes directors to advertising industry subscribers including agencies, brands and production companies, with at least 70% of work from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Shiny Subscribers network An annual subscriber membership for production companies, agencies, post-production companies and creative studios that grants access to the Shiny List talent database to discover and connect directly with emerging directors, plus free tickets to Shiny events.
- Shiny Events Networking events, awards ceremonies and showcases held at venues including Omnicom Production London, Saatchi & Saatchi, Mother, VCCP, Uncommon, Iris and PowerHouse, with paid individual tickets (e.g. £45 for Summer Shiny Awards).
- Industry Access Archive A public library of interviews, Q&As and masterclasses featuring industry professionals covering pitching, director representation, winning pitches, disability casting and career development for emerging directors.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% of work shown from under-represented directors
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Shiny Awards
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Shiny Awards technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Shiny Awards partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Omnicom Production LondoncoreHost venue for Summer Shiny Awards 2026 event held at 135 Bishopsgate, London. Provides space for industry networking and awards ceremony.
- We Are SocialcoreShiny subscriber and event host for industry panel discussions including 'How to Win the Pitch'. Global creative agency with in-house production studios.
- Saatchi & SaatchicoreShiny subscriber and event host for December 2025 Shiny Awards. Major advertising agency committed to discovering emerging talent.
- MothercoreShiny subscriber and event host for September 2025 Shiny Awards. Creative agency with strong track record in emerging talent discovery.
- VCCP LondoncoreHost venue for March 2026 Shiny Awards. Creative agency committed to supporting diverse emerging directors.
- UncommoncoreHost venue for Shiny Uncommon showcase May 2025. Creative studio committed to diversity in advertising.
- NM ProductionscoreShiny member and interview subject for industry access series. Successfully operating production company sharing insights on industry trends.
- PrettybirdcoreShiny subscriber and production company representing roster of 32 directors. Active in discovering and nurturing new talent.
- Dark Energy FilmscoreShiny member featured in industry access interviews. Known as traditional production company with large pool of in-house directors.
- CANADAcoreShiny subscriber and one of leading production companies on the planet. Has policies around new talent and diversity.
- RSAcoreShiny subscriber and production company signing directors discovered through Shiny platform.
- Pulse FilmscoreShiny subscriber and production company signing emerging directors including Zac Dov Wiesel, Colin Read, Rodrigo Saavedra.
- Park VillagecoreShiny subscriber and production company. Signed director Hannah Seidel after she won through Shiny Awards.
- PowerHousecoreShiny subscriber and host for Irish Showcase June 2025. Founded by Kymann Power.
- IriscoreShiny subscriber and host venue for industry masterclasses including 'All About Reps' event.
- EcologiminorShiny is a business member of Ecologi, offsetting 0.75 tonnes of carbon per month through tree planting and carbon reduction projects.
- RepMediaminorShiny member and specialist rep for music content, founded by Andre Reid.
- SpotlightminorShiny member providing disability casting advice and guidance for industry.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Shiny Awards competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: Cannes Lions is the largest global advertising awards festival, with a broader portfolio of categories than Shiny. Comparable as incumbent ad-industry awards infrastructure that brand and agency buyers already participate in, representing both opportunity (partnerships) and competitive threat (replication of diversity credentials).
- The One Show: The One Show is a major global advertising awards program run by The One Club for Creativity. Broadly comparable as an incumbent advertising awards body with broader scope but overlapping agency/brand subscriber base with Shiny.
- Clio Awards: Clio Entertainment/Clio Music recognize creative work in advertising-adjacent categories. Comparable as incumbent global creative awards body whose categories overlap Shiny's directing-talent space.
Direct peers
- D&AD: D&AD runs one of the most prestigious global awards programs for advertising and design, including a New Blood category that targets emerging talent. Directly comparable in being an industry-credentialing body serving ad agencies, brands, and creators, though broader in scope than Shiny's director-only focus.
- Shots Awards: Shots is a leading international awards and media brand for the commercial film production industry, with awards focused on the very production companies and directors Shiny serves. Directly comparable as commercial production industry awards and discovery channel.
- British Arrows: British Arrows is the UK advertising industry's premier awards body (cited by Shiny itself for new director awards). Directly comparable as a UK-based awards body recognizing commercial directing craft, with overlapping judging talent and agency subscriber base.
- Young Director Awards (YDA): YDA is a global award program explicitly focused on emerging directors, with categories and trophies analogous to Shiny. Shiny director Daniel Liakh won YDA Gold in 2024, confirming direct talent overlap.
- Ciclope: Ciclope is an international awards festival celebrating craft in commercial film production. Directly comparable — Shiny director Bianca Poletti won Ciclope Bronze in 2023. Both programs serve emerging commercial directing talent and judging panels.
- UK Music Video Awards (UKMVA): UKMVA recognizes music video direction in the UK, with Shiny director Tom Emmerson winning a UKMVA category in 2023. Comparable as a UK-based emerging-talent award in the adjacent directing craft.
Others
- Sundance Institute: Sundance nurtures emerging independent filmmakers — Shiny director Charlotte Regan won Sundance with first feature 'Scrapper' (2023). Comparable as a non-profit pipeline that develops the same talent pool Shiny sources from, making Sundance an adjacent feeder rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Shiny Awards social profiles
Digital presenceShiny Awards financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shiny Awards leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Shiny Awards funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shiny Awards M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shiny Awards
What does Shiny Awards do?
Shiny Awards runs the only ad industry awards competition that applies diversity quotas, providing emerging and underrepresented directors with a route into commercial advertising production. Its core offerings consist of the Shiny Awards submissions and ceremonies, the Shiny List (a curated database of 2,000+ emerging directors), and the Shiny Subscribers network through which production companies and agencies access that talent. Shiny is an independent London-based organization founded in 2018.
Is Shiny Awards a public or private company?
Shiny Awards is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Shiny Awards founded?
Shiny Awards was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Shiny Awards based?
Shiny Awards is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Shiny Awards make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Awards Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Tickets.
Who are Shiny Awards's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The One Show and Clio Awards. Direct peers are D&AD, Shots Awards, British Arrows, Young Director Awards (YDA), Ciclope and UK Music Video Awards (UKMVA). Sundance Institute is listed as an others.
Does Shiny Awards have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shiny Awards.
What industry is Shiny Awards in?
Shiny Awards's product category is Advertising Industry Awards and Talent Discovery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAAAM, Marketing, Publicity & Awards Campaigns, with a secondary code of MPAGAFAA, General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows. Its NAICS code is 541890 and its SIC code is 7311.