Three more Black Pencils given out at the D&AD Awards 2022

The 60th D&AD Awards have just wrapped up, and with it, the categories of Craft, Side Hustle, Design, Culture and Impact have all been awarded their respective Pencil accolades. It includes 30 Yellow, 72 Graphite, 164 Wood and 2 White Pencils, but perhaps most astonishing of all is the three Black Pencils, which are specially reserved for the most ground-breaking work.

The awarding of these three Black Pencils brings the total given out at this year's D&AD Awards to five, which is especially impressive when you consider that there is no guarantee or requirement that any need to be handed out at all.

As well as the Pencils, D&AD has also named Leo Burnett Chicago as 'advertising agency of the year'. Meanwhile, Apple Design Team wins 'design agency of the year', Division wins 'production company of the year', and Apple wins 'client of the year'. As for 'network of the year', that goes to DDB Worldwide, and Howatson+Company wins 'independent agency of the year'.

Dara Lynch, Chief Operating Officer at D&AD, said: "In the wake of political and social turmoil, creative excellence continues to not only survive but thrive, as evidenced by the incredible talent we've seen at this year's D&AD Awards.

"In the backdrop of what feels like a never-ending stream of global crises, it is incredibly reassuring to see that our community remains resilient and continues to move in a progressive and vibrant direction."

Dara adds: "We're delighted to have been able to celebrate this year's winners alongside our global creative colleagues at our two virtual ceremonies this week, which we have continued to advance and improve, to ensure that every pencil winner is celebrated as they truly deserve to be."

Leo Burnett Chicago's recognition as 'advertising agency of the year' appears to be well-deserved, with two of the five Black Pencils being awarded to the company. Like yesterday, it's the Lost Class project that has achieved special recognition, this time in the branding and tactical category.

The remaining two go to adam&eveDDB for Hopeline19 – a free phone service for the British nation to leave messages of support for frontline workers, and Real Tone for their technical improvements to the Pixel 6 camera and Google Photos, which more accurately and beautifully highlight the nuances of all skin tones.

With all 702 Pencils now awarded across the various categories, it's now possible to see how different countries compare. According to D&AD's points system, the United States emerges as the clear winner, with the United Kingdom coming second. France comes in third, while Germany comes fourth, followed by Brazil in fifth place.

And just because the second day of the virtual D&AD Awards has come to an end, that doesn't mean there aren't more accolades to look forward to. The President's Award will be announced at a special in-person event in September to celebrate D&AD's 60th Anniversary and launch this year's D&AD Annual.

In addition, D&AD is producing the Jury Insight 2022 series to celebrate the great work produced over the last year. Select juries will unpack some of the winning work from the Awards, exploring what creative excellence means in 2022, as well as discussing wider themes and trends across the industry. The panel discussion will be published bi-weekly as a series throughout the summer on the D&AD website and YouTube channel.