Winners of the 2026 Esomar Awards announced in Valencia

Global brands, agencies and researchers recognised for outstanding work across research, data and insights at Esomar Congress 2026

VALENCIA, SPAIN, September 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Esomar, the global community for data, research and insights, today announced the winners of the 2026 Esomar Awards, recognising outstanding work from across the global insights profession. Awards were presented across categories spanning consumer insights, research impact, artificial intelligence, methodology, social impact, qualitative research and innovation.

Winners were revealed during Esomar Congress 2026 in Valencia, Spain. Gold, Silver and Bronze awards were presented across the global categories, alongside regional awards recognising work from Africa and the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America.

2026 Esomar Award winners

Outstanding Contribution to Consumer Insights
- Gold: Factworks GmbH & Turo, Built to Be Used: The Guest Segmentation Shaping Growth at Turo
- Silver: Momentum Group & Kantar, Project Athena: Defining Success Codes of SA Women
- Bronze: Toluna & AXA, A New Augmented Intelligence Approach to Decoding Population Ageing
- Regional Latin America: Itaú, Research at scale: how Research became the engine of the decision-making cycle at Itaú’s communities
- Regional Middle East & Africa: Momentum Group & Bureau of Market Research, The advice advantage: reframing advice as a strategic growth capability

Excellence in Global Research
- Gold: Human8 & Coca-Cola, A 2027 to 2030 innovation playbook for a global category, built with future confidence
- Silver: Nextatlas, Foresight as a Service: The Agentic Data Layer
- Bronze: Rival Technologies & Time Out, Making research famous: How Time Out turned insights into headlines using Rival Technologies

Excellence in AI and Automation in Market Research
- Gold: NIQ & Unilever, Predicting What Consumers Will Love — Before We Ask Them
- Silver: GetWhy & eBay, From Retrospective to Real-Time: How GetWhy and eBay Built the World's Most Human AI Insight Engine
- Bronze: Toluna & Keolis, Reimagining Future Mobility Through AI-Powered Personas: A Scalable Approach to Global Foresight
- Regional Asia Pacific, Gold: Quantum Consumer Solutions & Haleon, Re-contextualising Mobility: How an AI–Human Symphony Unlocked Strategic Growth Terrains at Speed
- Regional Asia Pacific, Silver: Toluna & Kellanova, Beyond Balance - From Validation to Velocity
- Regional Europe: Kantar GmbH, From Panels to Agents: A Multi-Agentic system to Benchmark Brand Performance Across the Digital Consumer Journey
- Regional Latin America: Itaú, 5 weeks in 4 days: How AI has supported rethinking the Ways of Working of Design and Research
- Regional North America, Gold: Listen Labs & Sweetgreen, Moving at the Speed of Culture: How Sweetgreen Used AI-Powered Research to Drive Nutrition and Menu Innovation
- Regional North America, Silver: MMA Global & AT&T, AT&T x MMA: Practical application of Consortium for AI Personalization (CAP)

Breakthrough Research Methodology Award
- Gold: MMA Global, Measuring Brand Discoverability in the Age of AI
- Regional Europe: Verve & BBC, The Rules of Engagement: How the BBC and Verve combined AI and Semiotics to Create a New Blueprint for Winning on Social

Research Impact Award
- Gold: Consumer Feedback Consultancy & SMEDCO, State of the MSME Sector - Zimbabwe
- Silver: Acacia Avenue & Perrigo, Let's talk about sex
- Bronze: TATA SONS & Insight Gig, Building Enduring Brands: Using Agentic AI to Create Thriving Consumer Communities
- Regional Asia Pacific, Gold: Synergy Market Research + Strategic Consultancy & ACEN RES, Research as a Growth Engine: From Category Education to Market Leadership - The ACEN RES Transformation into the Philippines' Leading Renewable Energy Provider
- Regional Asia Pacific, Silver: Quantum Consumer Solutions & Unilever, Phygital - Quantum & Unilever's Lab to Launch Innovation Model
- Regional Europe: Blauw Research & AH Retail Media Services, BLAUW & AH RMS: Retail Media Impact A(I)dvisor Predicting and improving creative effectiveness within 60 seconds!
- Regional Middle East & Africa: Momentum Group, Bureau of Market Research & Alltold, Understanding the Emerging Market and their unmet needs

Best Social Impact Research
- Gold: Savanta, Youth Matters: State of the Nation
- Silver: DVJ Insights, How Research Became a Catalyst for Action Against Loneliness
- Bronze: Quiddity & Instituto Fundação Natura, Call It By Its Name: Naming Violence Against Women as a Tool for the Transformation of Latin American Societies
- Regional Asia Pacific: Human8 & InLife, InLife Rethinking Retirement Readiness in the Philippines
- Regional Europe: moweb research GmbH & Viva Equality, Perception and uptake of the Education and Participation Benefits (BuT) in Germany in 2026
- Regional Latin America, Gold: Quiddity & Instituto Fundação Natura, Call It By Its Name: Naming Violence Against Women as a Tool for the Transformation of Latin American Societies
- Regional Latin America, Silver: SOS Education Consultancy, Next Generation Brazil: Reframing understanding of Brazilian youth
- Regional Middle East & Africa: Dalberg Research, SEZ WOW MOM & BSD Group, Availing Affordable And Accessible Childcare in Market Centers in Kenya

Qualitative Excellence | Peter Cooper Award sponsored by QRi Consulting
- Gold: Acacia Avenue & Perrigo, Let's talk about sex
- Silver: Sprint Studio Human Insights Pvt. Ltd & Unilever, The Multi-Sensor Love Lab: A Blueprint for GenZ Love-codes
- Regional Asia Pacific: Vitral Brand Expertise, Beyond Healthy - What Drives Snacking Choices in Indian Homes
- Regional Latin America: Ipsos & Haleon, Oral Care as Social Currency: Cultural and Sensory Insight from Brazil’s Access Consumers
- Regional North America: Harvest Insights Group, Acculturation, Interrupted

Innovation Award | Tony Cowling Foundation
- Gold: Human8 & Coca-Cola, Future digital twins, and the timing problem nothing else solves
- Silver: Brand Genetics & Unilever, Insight in the Foothills of the Singularity
- Bronze: Wortya, Filter, not Oracle. The honest case for synthetic users and digital twins
- Regional Europe: Verve & Leeds Building Society, Designed for Every Customer Moment: How Leeds Building Society and Verve Reimagined Communications Through AI-Powered Insight

Young ESOMAR Society Award
- Gold: Olivia Petrie (SKIM): New Way of Concepts | Testing innovation the way people really decide
- Silver: The Behavioural Backlash against the Cult of Wellness Emily Walsh (See Research)
- Bronze: HealthGeo: Zivile Bernotaite (Real Chemistry)

The full list of winners and more information about the Esomar Awards is available at http://esomar.org/newsroom/winners-of-the-2026-esomar-awards-announced-in-valencia.

About Esomar
Since 1947, Esomar has been the global authority for the data, research and insights profession. As a worldwide membership organisation spanning 9,000+ members, 750+ companies and 130+ countries, Esomar sets the standard for ethical and effective use of data and insights.

Through globally recognised guidelines, education, professional standards and advocacy, Esomar supports organisations and professionals working across research, analytics and insights. It connects a global community, promotes ethical practices and helps ensure data and insights contribute to better decision-making for business and society.

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Media contact: Marie Melsheimer, marie.melsheimer@esomar.org, +1-541-815-3951

Marie Melsheimer
Esomar
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