Perth, Australia — Following an intense two-week adjudication phase, details of the distinguished panel of judges for the 2024 Skulls Awards have surfaced, spearheaded by the Perth Advertising and Design Club (PADC). With the nominee chair, Adam Ferrier, founder of Thinkerbell, at the helm, the jury consists of over two dozen esteemed designers, creatives, and craft experts drawn from across Australia and New Zealand.
Laura Vulling, PADC General Manager, lauded the panel’s rich diversity of experience, noting that it fostered robust evaluations and thoughtful discussions on each submission. Vulling highlighted the rigorous scrutiny each entry received, underscoring the high standard of creativity emanating from Western Australia. She remarked on the fervent debates spurred by this year’s outstanding entries, identifying the sheer volume of submissions as the primary challenge.
The jury was segmented into three main categories. Adam Ferrier led the Creative, Radio, and Film group; Prue Jones, Design and Creative Director at Accenture Song Melbourne, oversaw the Design, Print, and Art Direction segment; while Patrick Guerrera, APAC Lead for M&C Saatchi Consulting, headed the Digital, Technology, and Social Media panel. Guerrera, who also serves on the D&AD Global Advisory Board, expressed his anticipation and admiration for the Western Australian creative output, acknowledging its consistent excellence.
Jones, who participated in the 2023 Cannes Design Lions as a judge, echoed Guerrera’s sentiments, praising the creative prowess evident in Western Australia and recognizing it as some of the best in the nation.
With judges having completed their deliberations, attention now turns to the awards ceremony scheduled for Friday, November 15. The event will celebrate the cream of creative talent with anticipation building around the announcement of this year’s winners. Tickets for the ceremony are expected to go on sale soon.
The PADC has also divulged the full roster of jury members for the 2024 Skulls Awards, encompassing a broad spectrum of industry leaders such as Abi Singmin, Design Director at Landor, and Adrian Mills, Partner of Creative, Brand & Advertising at Deloitte Digital, among others. This lineup encompasses a range of specialists from major companies and innovative firms across the region, showcasing the breadth and depth of the jury’s expertise.
This year’s record number of entries not only underscores the awards’ prestige but also points to the burgeoning creativity across Western Australia’s advertising and design sectors. The PADC Skulls Awards continue to serve as a significant platform for recognizing and fostering creative excellence, drawing attention to the region as a key hub of innovative and compelling work in the global creative landscape.
As Perth gears up to celebrate the best in advertising and design, industry insiders and creatives eagerly await the revelation of this year’s top innovators, whose work not only sets high standards locally but also resonates on an international scale.