WACL (Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership) has opened its Talent Awards, which provide grants to support emerging female leaders.

The Awards, which are now in their twenty first year, are held in partnership with NABS. They award emerging female+ leaders working in media, marketing, advertising and communications training grants of up to £1,500 each. 

Founded by Tess Alps in 1995, the WACL Talent Awards have recognised and rewarded over 300 mid and senior female leaders across the advertising and communications industry. The grants awarded offer the winners training and mentoring support to accelerate their careers and launch their leadership journeys. Over the past twenty one years, WACL has awarded over half a million pounds in grants. 

Entrants for the awards have always spanned a broad range of ages, backgrounds, capabilities and locations, and are representative of the whole industry, in terms of media and creative agencies, brand-side, tech platforms and startups.

Previous winners of the awards now hold senior leadership positions across the industry at brands such as Spotify, Nando’s and Google, as well as agencies such as BBH, Ogilvy and WPP. Other winners also include founders of various industry businesses, including Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, previous gold winners who founded Amazing If, an organisation that works to help women develop their careers. 

Claire Sadler, President of WACL and CMO of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Over the past 21 years, the WACL Talent Awards have helped hundreds of women take the next step in their leadership journeys. They’re a powerful reminder of how much talent and ambition exists across our industry - and the impact that can be made when that potential is recognised and supported. WACL is committed to continuing to invest in the future of female leadership and the community that lifts each other up.”

Katrina Urban, Head of Learning and Development at NABS, added: “It’s such a privilege to be part of the WACL Talent Awards, an initiative that not only celebrates potential but actively invests in the future of female+ leaders of our industry. At NABS, we’re proud to be the Awards partner, championing this opportunity to support female+ talent development and wellbeing in a meaningful way. As a previous winner, I’ve experienced how transformative this recognition and supportive community can be. Every year I am personally blown away by the truly inspirational applicants and can’t wait to hear from every single one of you.”

One of the big benefits of winning a WACL Talent Award is connecting with other professionals through The Futures Network, which was created by previous winners of the Talent Awards to support peer to peer networking. 

Laura Vipond, Chief Growth Officer at Ogilvy UK, explained: “Winning a WACL Talent Award was a real turning point for me - but what’s stayed with me most isn’t just the training, it’s the community you join. The Futures network is full of brilliant, supportive women who are there for each other through every stage of their careers - it’s like having hundreds of cheerleaders in your pocket. Even the process of applying is incredibly valuable; it forces you to pause, reflect on your goals and articulate what you really want next in your career. I’d encourage anyone considering it to go for it, you gain so much from the journey itself.”

The Talent Awards open for entries on 20th October 2025, with the applications closing on 17th November 2025. The winners will be announced at the annual WACL Talent Awards dinner in March 2026. To find out more about the WACL Talent Awards and apply please click here.