Now in its eighth year, Next Creative Leaders is a free portfolio competition that identifies, celebrates and gives a global platform to talented women and non-binary creatives.

The NCL focuses on creatives who are making their mark on the world with both their work and a unique point of view on creative leadership that's changing the industry for the better.

The NCL 2022 winners, as selected by the 2022 jury, are:

The complete list of NCL 2022 winners can be found here.

According to the event, eligible entrants for NCL are individuals with less than one year in their role, and creative teams doing game-changing work. These individuals include those who are stepping into leadership roles, such as:
  • copywriters
  • art directors
  • designers
  • ACDs, and
  • newly-promoted creative and design directors. 

Entrants are judged on four-to-six pieces of creative work and information about how they — and their work — are pushing the industry forward and making a positive contribution in terms of:
  • diversity
  • mentoring, and
  • advocacy.

A list of all previous NCL winners can be viewed here.

"For nearly two decades, The One Club has focused on programming that helps improve the industry's diversity and gender equality," says Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Club.

Swanepoel adds, "We are proud to produce programs like Next Creative Leaders that identify, elevate and give voice to those in every region around the world who are making a real difference. In addition to making their own inroads, NCL winners are also opening the door and inspiring the next generation of women and non-binary creatives."

Kat Gordon, The 3% Movement founder and CEO, echoed this enthusiasm and reminded the creative world how necessary programmes like Next Creative Leaders are.

"When 3% was founded in 2012, many creative competitions had all-male juries, steep entry fees and a tendency to reward one kind of work and one kind of creator," says Gordon.

"Next Creative Leaders has demonstrated the bounty of creativity that arises when everyone is invited," concludes Gordon.

According to the group, each NCL winner will receive a one-year complimentary individual membership with The One Club, with opportunities to:
  • participate in future One Club Awards juries
  • receive complimentary tickets to a One Club professional development conference (USD$1 000+ value)
  • participate in panels, and
  • witness and participate in mentorship events.

The One Club and The 3% Movement will host a celebration event for this year’s winners on Thursday, 19 January 2023 at The One Club gallery space in New York.

The evening, complete with cocktails and appetisers, will include a look at some of the winners' work and a pair of panel discussions with winners and other industry leaders. The event is made possible by the support of sponsor Walmart.

More information and tickets are available here.

Branding for Next Creative Leaders 2022 was designed by the team of NCL 2021 winners Cara Mia Cecchini and Mia Rafowitz, who are on the 2022 jury.

For more information, visit www.oneclub.org. You can also follow The One Club for Creativity on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.