The Tribeca X Awards return this year to recognize excellence in branded entertainment.
But to do that, they need your submissions.
Launched in 2016 as part of New York City’s iconic film-focused Tribeca Festival, Tribeca X was originally a single-day slate of programming for the creative advertising industry, capped by an awards show that crowned winners across several categories of storytelling-driven marketing.
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Then, in 2024, Tribeca X doubled to two days–and last year, it scaled to also offer year-round programming, with activations at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Emmys, The London Book Fair, and more.
“Tribeca X exists because storytelling is the most powerful way to connect people, shape culture, and drive meaningful impact,” organizers say. “We believe brands can be more than advertisers–they can be enablers of creativity, investors in culture, and catalysts for change.”
We’ll have more details about this year’s packed-full slate of Tribeca X programming in the coming weeks.
For now, the Tribeca X Awards are seeking submissions that showcase excellence in branded storytelling, including content creator and episodic series categories recognizing work across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and more.
Winners will receive official Tribeca Festival laurels and jury recognition at the Tribeca X live event during Tribeca’s flagship film festival, which runs June 3-14, 2026, in NYC.
Writer/actor Asher Grodman, who won Best Content Creator in 2024 for his work making the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ 2023 schedule release video, said his win “gave us this thrilling moment that was deeply validating,” and that having Tribeca laurels attached to his name “opened up a lot of fun doors.”
The 2026 awards are open to “all work [that] premiered after January 1, 2025, created with support of a brand in collaboration with artists, creators or filmmakers,” per organizers.
Awards will be given out in six categories:
- Feature documentary and narrative films (longer than 40 mins)
- Short documentary and narrative films (shorter than 40 mins)
- Episodic projects for TV, streaming, web, or brand-owned channels
- Traditional commercials/commercial spots
- Content creator/influencer
- Audio podcasts and audio stories
For the content creator/influencer category, short-form posts, livestreams, and long-term collaborations are all eligible, and content can consist of a single post or multiple connected pieces of content, so long as all submitted pieces were posted after Jan. 1, 2025.
Judges for this year’s awards include writer/actor Lena Waithe, Vans Global CMO Daniel Cherry III, and Juliana Cobb, Chief Creative Officer at 72andSunny NY.
They’ll also join a lauded roster of previous winners. 2025’s awards went to champs like Uber Eats with its Matthew McConaughey Super Bowl spot, Reporters Without Borders‘ 30th anniversary campaign, Mejuri and Gia Coppola‘s series about modern women’s lives, Brilliant Labs with its short-form documentary series A Robot’s Guide to Happiness, and The Wicked RP, an official Roblox game designed to promote the Universal films.
Submissions for the 2026 Tribeca X Awards are open here through April 8, 2026.
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