Entries open until November 27
The Korea Digital Enterprise Association announced on October 23 that it is accepting entries for the 2026 Ann Award until November 27. According to ETNews, the award, now in its 20th edition, is organized by the Ann Award Committee and managed by the association itself. The awards ceremony is scheduled for February 26, 2027, at Studio 159 of COEX, in the Samseong-dong district of Seoul.
The main news concerns the structure of the competition: the 2026 edition is being reorganized into two sectors, digital services and digital advertising, for a total of 42 categories. The stated goal is to make definitions and evaluation criteria more concrete in light of technological evolution and industry trends. This is an announced reorganization, not an expansion that has already been tested.
The three AI-dedicated categories
This year’s entry guide includes three AI-related categories: AI Creative, AI Solution & Service and AI Transformation. According to the source material, the choice reflects the spread of AI and changes in workplaces. The digital services sector covers works created with AI and services that support their production, management and efficiency solutions for various industrial sectors, and innovation cases that have changed working methods and operational structures.
The digital advertising sector, by contrast, includes AD Tech, meaning the use of AI and digital technologies to support advertising efficiency and media management, along with campaigns and advertisements from various sectors and brands. An individual recognition, called “인재상,” is also planned for representatives or employees who have contributed to the development of the sector. Winners will be classified as Gold and Silver.
Awards and checks still pending
Awards are planned by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as awards from bodies such as the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation, the Korea Culture Information Service Agency and ETNews. The winning works will be collected in a yearbook distributed free of charge. Hwang Ki-seok, chairman of the Ann Award Committee, said the categories have been renewed, with the addition of AI, to make the projects known in a broader field and share them as a growth engine for the sector.
Some elements remain to be clarified: the source does not indicate who makes up the jury, which criteria weigh in the three new AI categories, or how works generated with artificial intelligence are evaluated. The expected number of entries is not specified. The award therefore signals a stated adjustment to industry trends, but the actual impact will depend on the evaluation rules that the call for entries must make explicit.
