Approach

Chief Marketing Officers of the Year

• A list of finalists, broken into two groups: CMOs of SMBs + CMOs of larger organisations.

• Judges will select from both cohorts to make up the final top 25 list. The top 25 marketing leaders of the year will be ranked #1 – #25.

• Submission-based nomination process for all eligible entrants using pre-determined questionnaire focused on:

Effectiveness and commercial acumen
Growth strategies and delivery
Data-driven and insight informed marketing excellence
Progressing brand and long-term brand building
People leadership and marketing capability development
Championing business-grade innovation

• This award category aims to reward long-term thinking, strategies that build, programs of work that show learning, adaptability and responsiveness to business and market needs.

First-Time CMO of the Year

Defined as a CMO who has been in a marketing leadership position for less than two years, this special award will recognise up to 3 CMOs, pending judges’ final decision.

This award category aims to recognise those demonstrating the right behaviours, capabilities and attitude with the foundations to build a tenure of role showcasing meaningful strategic delivery.

Best Growth Initiative of the Year

Brought to you by Publicis Groupe

This specialist award creates a category that elevates the CMO’s full team while also recognising leadership excellence pertaining to a strategic growth initiative.

This category will be judged and based on completing select questions from the main award questionnaire designed to understand growth programs run by the CMO and/or their teams.

This award category is open to either CMOs or growth program leaders across marketing, customer and business functions.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the aim and ambition of the CMO Awards?

The CMO Awards program is a next-generation annual recognition initiative celebrating Australia’s most progressive and effective CMOs and marketing leaders as the champions of business growth.

These awards are about celebrating individuals leading the marketing function who are displaying strategic, discerning marketing thinking, driving business change and commercial success, showcasing modern marketing leadership and enabling greater collaboration and better customer engagement as a result.

The program has five key aims:

Recognising Australia’s most progressive and effective CMOs and marketing leaders
Rewarding and supporting successful, innovative growth strategies and ‘big M’ marketing delivery
Building excellence and elevating the stature of Australia’s best performing marketing chiefs and their teams
Supporting excellence across marketing, customer and business growth leadership
Connecting and supporting an alumnus of CMOs, marketing leaders and emerging marketing leaders.

Q: What are the CMO Awards categories in 2025?

In 2025, there are three categories open for nominations. The CMO Awards program requires nominees to complete a submission-based questionnaire in order to be considered.

Download the CMO Awards questionnaire for this year’s awards here.

Chief Marketing Officers of the Year:

This award is open to the most senior marketing executive representatives for an organisation based in Australia with a remit that includes the Australian market.

Nominees can either purely have the Australian remit, or be Australia-based with responsibility for Australia + a regional or global footprint for their organisation. This year’s program will be recognising a top 25 list of Chief Marketing Officers of the Year, as well as a CMO of the year across small to medium businesses of up to 200 employees; as well as enterprise businesses.

First-Time CMO of the Year:

This special recognition award will recognise up to 3 marketing leaders in these senior-level roles for less than 2 years. It requires nominees to also complete the main nomination form to be considered.

Best Growth Initiative of the Year, presented by Publicis Groupe:

This award category is about recognising the best growth initiative undertaken by CMOs and their marketing teams in Australia over the last 12 months. This category has its own dedicated submission questionnaire and judging panel. It is open to both the Australia-based CMO or the most senior marketer in the marketing function with responsibility for the growth initiative.

Q: What does it cost to enter the CMO Awards?

There is no entry fee to take part in these awards.

Q: How can I nominate?

In order to be considered for any of the three categories featured in the CMO Awards in 2025, judges require one completed category questionnaire for the nominated individual or team. Our recommendation is for CMOs or their direct reports to complete the questionnaire they submit.

Please be advised the CMO Awards are not popular, voting-based awards – winners are selected by our CMO Awards 2025 judging panel. Final selections are not open to negotiation. All judges’ scores will be kept confidential and are not released publicly.

Q: What is the judging process for the CMO Awards?

All submissions received will be judged by our 2025 stellar judging panel encompassing respected figures from the marketing industry including former marketing and brand leaders, CEOs, board members, agency, media and business leadership. Judges are asked to read all completed submissions in their category and judge each on key areas specified in the questionnaire itself. These combined scores and rankings for each individual are then used as the basis for the final list of award winners.

Q: Can I nominate my client?

In order to be considered for the CMO Awards, judges requires a completed submission. Given the nature of the questionnaire and information required by the judges to make the most informed decision on our Chief Marketing Officers of the Year and Best Growth Initiative of the Year categories, we recommend agencies encourage their marketing leaders and their teams to directly complete the question (with input from relevant partners of course).

Only 1 completed submission per individual / team / brand is required to enter the awards.

Q: Will submission questionnaires be shared externally?

Please be assured all submissions are kept strictly confidential within the judging panel and will not be distributed or published in full without express permission. Any sensitive information shared for the purpose of ensuring our judges can make the best and most informed decision on the winners and finalists will remain strictly confidential.

The purpose of our submission asking for marketing budget is to help the judges better frame the examples you share in your submission against your available budget. This data point is strictly only used for this purpose and never shared externally or to anyone else.

A rough range figure as a guide is more than suitable for this purpose.

Q: When do submissions close?

CMO Awards Nominations are due to close 14 March 2025.

Completed questionnaires are to be sent to CMO Awards program manager, Nadia Cameron: nadia@mi-3.com.au

Q: When will the award winners be announced?

The CMO Awards 2025 winners will be revealed at our gala dinner event on Wednesday 7 May 2025. The full list and details of our winners will then be made available on the Mi3 and CMO Awards websites.

Q: Who can I contact with further questions on my submission or the program?

Please reach out to CMO Awards program manager, Nadia Cameron, if you have further questions on either the submission or program at: nadia@mi-3.com.au.