Mohawk College takes top Canadian spot at world’s top advertising competition

Hamilton, ON (May 13, 2026) Mohawk College Advertising students are celebrating and taking home a few medals from the Young Ones competition in New York earlier this week, widely considered the most prestigious student advertising competition in the world.

Students earned 32 shortlisted entries and 10 finalist placements, the strongest results in the program’s history. Those results translated into two bronze medals and eight awards of merit, as well as placing first among Canadian institutions and 12th in the world for The Young Ones One Show contest. Overall, the college ranked 28th for combined competition scores.

“Competition was fierce with over 3200 total entries. Taking home two bronze medals and placing first among Canadian teams is a notable achievement for our students,” said Jef Petrossi, Professor, Advertising. “They are competing against the top advertising schools in the world, and to see this level of success speaks to their creativity, dedication and talent.”

Among the highlights of this year’s awards was that one Mohawk team was a finalist in the competition’s live Pitch Competition. The team travelled to New York to present their campaign in front of leading global industry professionals, showcasing their ideas on an international stage.

Hosted annually by The One Club for Creativity, the Young Ones competition attracts entries from top institutions around the world and is regarded as a launching pad for the next generation of creative leaders.

See Mohawk’s two bronze medal-winning submissions:

Mohawk’s results reflect both the continued strength of its Advertising program and of Hamilton as a hub for creative talent.