The 2020 Marketing Awards will still be given out this year, but are moving to a digital format in order to better serve the current realities facing the industry.

To ensure the safety of the advertising community and in recognition of the challenges and shifting realities the industry is facing, the annual awards gala, originally set for June, will no longer be held, joining the ranks of other industry conferences, award shows and networking events that have either been cancelled or postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

All entries for this year’s awards will still be recognized, and judging is currently underway through a digital platform. However, instead of the live show, the best multicultural, design, craft and advertising work will be celebrated and shared virtually over the course of one week, still set for June.

More details, including this year’s shortlists, will be announced as they become available.

Previously announced, the 2020 Shopper Marketing Forum, which was set to be held on April 29 and 30 in Toronto, has been cancelled and moved to the spring of 2021. However, the Shopper Innovation + Activation Awards, which were to be handed out following the conference, will still be awarded through a digital format at the end of April. More details will be announced as they become available.