Today marked the sixth year Adweek has released The Creative 100, a list of today's most innovative leaders, icons and rising stars. It's also the sixth year I've been involved with shaping the list (the past three as its lead editor), so I wanted to share a few thoughts on how it comes together and who makes the cut.
First, I think it's important to note we never put the same person on this list twice. That's our way of ensuring Creative 100 is always relevant, fresh and reflective of the moment.
So how do we decide whom to include?
There's no money involved in the selections, that's for sure. No entry fees or formal nomination process. (Occasionally, some companies run congratulations ads for honorees, but obviously I don't hear about that until long after the list is selected.)
Instead of soliciting entries, we in the Adweek newsroom look at the world around us and the people shaping the conversations happing around creativity. Sometimes they're famous, but more often they're not.
We ask a lot of people to weigh in with their suggestions, then we take those potential honorees—there were about 500 this year—and whittle it down to a list we feel is reflective of that year.
If this sounds like I'm being overly vague, I'll make up for it with a few specifics:
• Agency honorees must have played lead roles on recent exceptional work. This isn't a lifetime achievement award. If you make the list, it's because you're relevant, not just at the top of an org chart.
• The consistent, unifying factor among most Creative 100 honorees is versatility and being multi-talented. An actor? Meh. An actor/director/producer/writer/singer/philosopher? Now we're talking.
• If I'm being honest, many agencies just want to honor the same people over and over again. And while some of our honorees have been on a few lists before, I'd argue they're the rare exception. Most, I hope you'll find, are new names—though not likely to stay obscure for long.
• They are not followers. True creatives lead. By example, perhaps, or through advocacy. Some become directors and managers, while others just keep advancing their work—and their industries.
• When in doubt, always be yourself. Unless you can be Dolly Parton, in which case, be Dolly Parton.
So I hope you'll take a look at each of this year's Creative 100 honorees, and I'm confident they'll give you a much-needed moment of brightness and inspiration in your day.
We've broken the list into clear categories below to help you find people more easily. And I'm happy to report that, while it means the world to me when readers like yourself support our journalism by becoming an Adweek Pro member, it's absolutely free to read about our Creative 100 honorees once you create an Adweek login.
On that note, though: If you are an Adweek Pro member, you can also access our cover story, a truly fantastic feature by my colleague Jason Lynch about breakout TV creator/star Ramy Youssef.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
Adweek has its thumb on the pulse of the marketing world. With an Adweek Pro Subscription, take advantage of the full breadth of our team's intelligence and learn what you need to know to get ahead.
