Sponsorship Marketing Awards 2026 Shortlist

Announcing the shortlist for the 2026 SMCC Sponsorship Marketing Awards!

Congratulations to the individuals and organizations whose cases have made the shortlist. They have been selected for their exemplary impact and success in sponsorship marketing.

Winning cases will be announced and celebrated live at the 2026 SMAs, taking place the evening of October 8 at TIFF Lightbox.

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Agency of the Year

  • Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment
  • Salt XC
  • T1

Ambassador/Talent

  • CIBC: The Connor-verse | Courage
  • Lincoln Navigator Cup | WPP Media Sports + Entertainment Lincoln Canada
  • Shane Lowry – Team RBC Ambassador | Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) 

Arts Music & Culture

  • Boston Pizza x Live Nation Canada – Summer Music Campaign | Mekanism Canada
  • Osheaga | Scotiabank
  • Visa Infinite Studio | Salt XC

Best New Initiative

  • Change The Compliment | AFC Toronto
  • “Most Interesting Seats in the House” – PROLINE x Toronto Maple Leafs | WPP Media Sports + Entertainment / OLG
  • SAP-NHL Front Office App Trade Deadline & Playoff Cap Planner Campaign | SAP
  • Tangerine “Never Too Invested” | Tangerine Bank
  • Victory. But, First Protein | Maple Leaf Foods, T1, Canadian Olympic Committee, FUSE Create, Sid Lee, The Hatchery Marketing Group

Best New Innovation

  • Rogers Replay | Salt XC
  • SAP-NHL Front Office App Trade Deadline & Playoff Cap Planner Campaign | SAP

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

  • Canadian Tire: Women in Sport Nights | Canadian Tire Corporation
  • Indigenous Playmaker Marketplace, presented by Mastercard | Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
  • RBC Community Junior Golf | Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)

Festivals, Fairs, and Annual Events

  • BMO and the Calgary Stampede | Bank of Montreal (BMO)
  • Ford: Roadtrip of a Lifetime | Cinco
  • Osheaga | Scotiabank

Multicultural

  • CFL x Capital Power: Powering Change Through Football | Canadian Football League
  • The Jersey Swap | Diamond Marketing

Olympics/FIFA World Cup

  • Air Canada x 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic & Paralympic Games: Fly the Flag | The.Team
  • BMO Beyond the Blackout  | TBWA\Canada 
  • Our Beautiful Game – OLG | WPP Media Sports + Entertainment / OLG
  • Sobeys – It Takes a Team To Feed The Dream | XMC
  • Victory. But First, Protein | Maple Leaf Foods, T1, Canadian Olympic Committee, FUSE Create, Sid Lee, The Hatchery Marketing Group

Professional Sports (Budget $500K and below)

  • Change the Compliment | AFC Toronto
  • Chevrolet Canada – High IQ Baseball Fan | Momentum Worldwide
  • Indigenous Playmaker Marketplace, presented by Mastercard | Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
  • PROLINE Bandwagon | OLG / WPP Media Sports + Entertainment
  • TurboImpôt at the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada | TurboImpôt – Intuit Canada

Professional Sports (Budget over $501K)

  • Rogers x Toronto Blue Jays — Bring It Home: The 2025 Postseason | Rogers Communications
  • Scotia Perks | Scotiabank
  • Tangerine “Never Too Invested” | Tangerine Bank
  • TD x Blue Jays – Proud Sponsor, Proud Fan | TD Bank
  • Uber Eats Crave the Stats | Uber Eats, T1, MLSE, Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens

Property of the Year

  • Team Canada | Canadian Olympic Committee
  • TIFF 50: 50 Years of Storytelling, Connection, and Partnerships | Toronto International Film Festival
  • Toronto Tempo | Toronto Tempo

Purpose – Led & Social Cause

  • Hyundai Canada’s Greatest Save | INNOCEAN Canada
  • RBC Community Junior Golf | Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
  • SickKids 150th Birthday | SickKids Foundation

Regional Award

  • “Most Interesting Seats in the House” – PROLINE x Toronto Maple Leafs | WPP Media Sports + Entertainment / OLG
  • TurboImpôt at the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada | TurboImpôt – Intuit Canada

Sustained Success

  • Kraft Hockeyville 20th Anniversary | SDI Marketing
  • Purolator x CFL Tackle Hunger Campaign | Canadian Football League (CFL)
  • Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Training Ground | Canadian Olympic Committee 

Join us at the 2026 SMAs where the winners will be announced at the live awards ceremony! We are looking forward to celebrating the best of sponsorship marketing excellence in Canada.

Register Now!