Don't Panic Projects Announces Rebrand of UK Paid & Performance Media Awards, Reflecting Industry Shift Towards Performance-Led Marketing
Oct 21, 2026
Industry shift towards results-driven, performance-led marketing reflected in Don't Panic Projects' awards rebrand
London, England, United Kingdom, October 21, 2026 -- The UK Paid Media Awards, delivered by international events company Don't Panic Projects, has been renamed the UK Paid & Performance Media Awards, alongside a new set of categories designed to reflect how the paid media industry operates in current times.
In its 11th year and originally the Biddable Media Awards, before the transition to Paid Media, the most recent update follows a year of significant movement in the paid and performance media landscape, including META's integration with Claude, ad-level placement controls, conversion ads arriving on ChatGPT, and Google's Business Agent for leads. The rename is a direct response to where the market has moved.
Performance has become the defining measure of paid media work. Where ROI was once assessed at the end of a campaign, it now sits at the start of every pitch and brief, with SMART outcomes and conversion-led thinking shaping how agencies, brand teams and freelancers approach the work. The organisers at Don’t Panic Projects say the new name reflects that shift directly.
Alongside the rebrand, the awards have introduced new categories built around where the industry's innovation is happening, including Standout Paid Media Performance, Standout Social Performance, Standout Shopping Ads Performance, D2C Campaign of the Year, Retail/FMCG Campaign of the Year, Digital OOH Campaign of the Year, Standout YouTube Performance and Standout META Ads Performance. The categories were developed in consultation with the awards' panel of active industry judges.
The awards have historically been agency-led, but organisers stress that brand-side, in-house teams and freelance specialists working across paid search, social, shopping, OOH and performance media can also win awards.
Nicky Wake, founder of Don't Panic Projects, said: "Some of the most innovative paid and performance work right now is coming from agencies, in-house teams and freelancers who've built deep expertise in a single channel. We wanted the categories, and the name, to catch up with that."
Entering is an opportunity to put outstanding paid and performance media work, and the people behind it, in front of an industry that recognises smart, effective thinking. Previous entrants have spoken about what the process, and the recognition, has meant for their teams.
Julia Symonds, Co-Founder of Outbloom, a past winner, said: "Being nominated for this award was already an incredible achievement for us, but taking home the award is something we're immensely proud of. It truly validates our hard work, energy, and enthusiasm for what we do. We've had some really tough setbacks in the last couple of years, but instead of holding us back, we've pivoted and moved forward on our strongest foot."
Michalis Sarafidis, Digital Director at Focus Agency Group, a previous finalist, added: "Being shortlisted is brilliant recognition for our work itself, but also for the partnership behind it. We are proud of what we have built and proud to see that approach recognised by the industry. The entry process has also been a positive experience. The UK Paid & Performance Media Awards have created a platform that genuinely celebrates smart, effective work, and the Don't Panic Projects team have been supportive and easy to work with throughout."
Entering is straightforward: an entry guide is available to download, and the Don't Panic Projects team is on hand throughout to support entrants through the process.
Entries for the UK Paid & Performance Media Awards 2027 are now open, with a final deadline of 28 January. Shortlisted finalists will be announced on 26 February, with winners revealed at an awards ceremony on 14 April in London.
A free entry guide and full list of categories are available at the ukpaidmediaawards.co.uk.
About the UK Paid & Performance Media Awards
The UK Paid & Performance Media Awards recognise excellence in paid media and performance marketing across agencies, brand-side teams and freelance specialists working in paid search, social, shopping, OOH and performance media.
About the company: Don't Panic Projects is an international events agency specialising in industry awards programmes, running recognition schemes across digital marketing, search, social media, paid media, company culture and business technology.
Contact Info:
Name: Amy Salvaggio
Email: Send Email
Organization: Don't Panic Projects
Website: https://dontpanicprojects.com/
Release ID: 89206628
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