With three new categories this year, the 2026 iteration of the Oystercatchers Awards has a total of 15 different ways to win. The new categories were introduced to better represent the ever-evolving face of the marketing industry, and brand and agency relationships.

However, one old favourite category remains: Best Agency Credentials.

This category recognises excellence in how an agency presents its proposition, capabilities and points of difference in its credentials presentation. Shortlisted entries are then invited to present their credentials to the panel Oystercatchers Awards’ judges.

Take a look at how the shortlisted agencies from 2025 found the experience:

Read below to discover what drives agencies to enter the Best Agency Credentials category, and how to get your submission in.

Share your agency’s story

“The main driver is having our story recognised. You don’t always know the story of how the work is created or how the insight came around.”
Caitlin Bavin, Managing Partner Growth, VCCP

Every agency has a unique story. The problem is that agencies rarely get the chance to articulate the thinking, culture and craft that sits behind what they do.

This was echoed by Jack Chape, Head of Integrated Media EMEA, PMG, who described how the category gave his agency the chance to “take a step back, pause, zoom out and be able to tell that important audience what we’re all about at PMG.”

Credentials are presented directly to our panel of senior client-side judges. It includes CMOs, Marketing Directors and Brand Leaders from some of the UK’s most respected organisations, who know exactly what marketers are looking for in an agency partner.

Get fresh perspectives on your agency and its creds deck 

“It’s good to get new perspectives and new, hopefully positive feedback.”
Pete Grenfell, Chief Operating Officer, VCCP

The process of building a compelling submission forces agencies to interrogate their own story. What do we stand for? What makes us different? Are we communicating our best work as clearly and confidently as we could be?

That process alone is valuable. But the real insight often comes from the room itself.

As Kabillan Navaratnarassa, Head of New Business at Uncommon, found: “A judge will ask a really random question about a very specific project and you think, actually, there is value in all the things we talk about — and how do we make sure we stay true to those things as well?”

The questions judges ask reveal what lands, what resonates and what might not be coming across as clearly as you think when you are delivering your creds deck in a pitch environment.

It’s the kind of expert feedback that is difficult to get anywhere else and that agencies can take straight back into the room with their next prospective client.

How to enter Best Agency Credentials in the Oystercatchers Awards

Any agency can enter the Oystercatchers Awards, regardless of their size or speciality.

To enter, visit the Oystercatchers Awards site, select the Best Agency Credentials category and follow the submission steps.