A Night to Remember: Recapping the 2026 Cascadia Creative Awards

The third annual Cascadia Creative Awards came to life on June 4th at Castaway in Portland,  and if this year was any indication, the Pacific Northwest creative community is thriving, growing, and having a very good time doing it.

The Evening Begins 

The night kicked off with networking, and the energy was immediate. Agency folks from across the region: Seattle, Boise, British Columbia, and beyond - filled the room, catching up with old friends and making new ones. It was warm, casual, and celebratory in the best way: the kind of evening where you look up and an hour has passed because you got lost in a great convo. That's the spirit the Cascadias are built on, and 2026 delivered it in full.

With more than 150 attendees and a beautiful evening that allowed us to open Castaway's backyard patio (and smell the jasmine!), there was plenty of room to spread out, connect, and soak it all in. Elegant centerpieces, designed by event producer Alena Campagna and board member Bethany Anderson added a polished touch to the festive atmosphere.

The Surprise That Stopped the Room

If there was one moment that defined the night, it was the surprise pop-up performance arranged by board member Christina Post: performers from the Portland Opera appeared throughout the room, interspersed among the crowd and dramatically interrupted opening remarks with a full production that no one saw coming. The gasps, the laughter, the applause was genuinely magical, and a reminder that this is a creative community that knows how to make an entrance.

The Work and the Bar Was High

This year's judging panel was exceptional. Led by Jim Elliot, Executive Creative Director for Visa, the global jury included creative leaders from Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Johannes Leonardo, Dr. Squatch, and more. That caliber of jury meant the winning work had a genuinely high bar to clear, and the winners rose to meet it.

Best in Show went to Portland-based Öpinionated (A Tombras Company) for "Have You Eaten Yet?" for Panda Express a richly layered integrated campaign that resonated with judges and the crowd alike. While Öpinionated and Wieden+Kennedy took home multiple awards across categories, one of the most exciting stories of the night was the breadth of winners across the room. Boutique agencies, medium size agencies and individual contributors all took home gold, a testament to the depth of creative talent across the region, from major shops to boutique studios to solo practitioners. This isn't a winner's circle that belongs to just a few. It belongs to the whole community.

The People Who Made It Happen

Events like this don't happen without an army of dedicated people, and we want to make sure every single one of them gets their flowers.

A massive thank you to Alena Campagna, our incredible event producer, and Danny Decker, our Event Chair, whose vision and hustle brought the whole evening together. John Jendritza, our Marketing Co-Chair, designed this year's trophies which were stunning and a huge hit with winners. Bethany Anderson, our volunteer coordinator, worked tirelessly to ensure seamless setup, takedown, and every moment in between. And Emily Stutzman of Happylucky Advisory Committee member and our emcee for the evening, brought warmth, wit, and professionalism to every moment on the mic.

A special shoutout to Michael Koach, a perennial NextNW volunteer, who spent the evening capturing candid moments throughout the crowd. His photos tell the real story of the night.

An Evening of Experiences

Pearl Catering delivered on the food front, and sweet treats were on hand to send guests off happy. Steven Paul Studio set up an entire on-site portrait studio, no small undertaking giving winners and guests a chance to take home a professional keepsake from the night. (We'll just say the photos got progressively more... expressive as the evening went on. You had to be there.) Xyzoid provided lighting support that elevated the whole space.

The after party at Joe's Cellar? We'll leave that to the imagination. We've heard things. We're not saying anything. Congratulations to all involved.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

None of this is possible without the partners who believe in this community.

A heartfelt thank you to Pathlabs, who sponsored our bar and have been a consistent and generous supporter of NextNW. Their investment in this community goes well beyond one evening. Thank you to our annual sponsor Amazon, without whom NextNW simply would not exist.

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