Evolve Group Africa, a seasoned brand-marketing and communications umbrella, has announced the sixth edition of the Uganda Marketing Excellence Awards (UMEAS), slated for Friday, December 11th, 2026, at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
To celebrate the six-year milestone, Evolve Group Africa is set to hold the second State of the Marketing Address, a groundbreaking pre-event discussion, that will spotlight and illuminate the marketing sector in Uganda and beyond.
The 6th UMEAS will be held under the theme “Celebrating Marketing that moves the needle.”
Initiated in 2021, the first installation of the UMEAS was inspired by the extraordinary marketing campaigns that brands and their stewards created, against all odds, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Six years down the road, the awards have grown by leaps and bounds, taking an annual deep dive into how well marketers have leveraged different media channels- both digital and traditional, to create campaigns that have made a powerful impact across the marketing landscape.
According to Paul Businge, a Business Development Director Evolve Africa, on Friday, December 11th , the day’s activities will start with the ‘State of Marketing Address, pre-award masterclass, scheduled to run from 2pm to 4:30 pm.
The event will bring together industry leaders, to analyse the current state of the marketing sector, as well as extrapolate on the latest trends in digital marketing, artificial intelligence, social media, internet penetration, and disruptive media.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with industry experts and gain valuable insights to inform their 2027 vision boards and strategies.
The State of Marketing Address will culminate into the launch of the State of Marketing Report 2026, a key document that captures important industry statistics and insights.
“The report will provide industry players with actionable data to drive their strategies in the forthcoming year,” Businge said.
The masterclass will be followed by a black-tie awards gala, that will start at 6pm, till late.
The awards gala will see outstanding organizations and individuals recognized and celebrated for their remarkable contributions to the growth of the marketing sector in the year 2026.
Sandra Lamwaka of Matooke Republic, one of the event’s sponsors, noted that the UMEAs have consistently provided a platform for brands to network and build meaningful connections, while also giving Matooke Republic an opportunity over the years to tell the interesting stories behind these brands.
Dr. Benedict Mugerwa, a jury on the Evolve Marketing Council for the UMEAS and head of Professional Courses at Uganda Management Institute(UMI), emphasized that the UMEAS encompass all facets of the marketing profession, including Communications, Advertising, and Public Relations.
He stated that the UMEAS’ sixth edition will keep the number of categories at thirteen.
“And, like the past editions, this year’s UMEAS will have the Evolve Marketing Council hold a 60% stake on public vote categories while the public shall hold 40% stake,” Mugerwa said.
Dr. Benedict highlighted that the criteria to determine the nominations and eventual winners shall include; big ideas (concepts), insights driving the ideas (evidence), integration of the communication across different platforms, KPIs and impact, as well as execution.
The UMEAS 2026 awards categories include;
-Advertising campaign of the year (For entry and public vote)
-Best use of partnership marketing (For entry and public vote)
-Best use of digital marketing (For entry and public vote)
-PR Campaign of the year (For entry and public vote)
-Best use of experiential marketing (For entry and public vote)
-Best not for profit/social good campaign (For entry and public vote)
-Best innovation- new product/ service/process (For entry and public vote)
-Rising agency of the year (For entry but not for public vote)
-Agency of the year (For entry but not for public vote)
-Best use of Sustainability (For entry but not for public vote)
-Marketing Campaign of the year (For entry but not for public vote)
-UMEAS most accomplished Marketer (Not for entry)
-Brand of the year (For entry and but not for public vote)
The awards will be carefully judged by a cherry picked Evolve Marketing council, consisting of the country`s top professional Marketing leaders.
To submit entry for any of the above categories, one should simply visit the UMEAS website:
The deadline for entries is November 15th, 2026, and finalists will be announced by November 27th, while voting to will begin on December 1st and close on December 10th 2026.
The State of the Marketing Address and the UMEAS sixth awards gala will be held at a red carpet and black-tie event on Friday December 11th, at Kampala Serena Hotel.
The UMEAS sixth edition is sponsored by Centenary Bank, Uganda Breweries Ltd, Crown Beverages Ltd, Vision Group, Reel Analytics Uganda, Rage East Africa, Matooke Republic, Kadanke Brand House, Radiocity97FM and Kampala Serena Hotel.
