Spotify Launches Applications for "Spotify Hits 2025" Advertising Awards New Global Open-Call Category Added Application Deadline: July 31

Spotify, the audio streaming service used by over 678 million users worldwide, has launched the application period for its annual creative awards, "Spotify Hits. " This Spotify-hosted competition recognizes campaigns that moved people and contributed to brand business growth through creative approaches that leveraged the unique characteristics of Spotify advertising, such as its wide range of formats (audio, video, display, playlists) and targeting based on streaming data. The application deadline is Thursday, July 31.

This award began in Brazil and Mexico in 2023 and was held for the first time in Japan last October, announcing two category awards and a Grand Prix. Expanding in scale for its second year, this year's event will determine four category awards and a Grand Prix. The overall judging panel consists of leading creators and marketers. From Dentsu Inc., Creative Director Yusuke Sato will participate as a judge.

[Campaign Categories]

● Category for campaigns already implemented

Seized the Moment Category - Best Moment Campaign
Campaigns that captured a specific moment and engaged users through creative approaches.

Ear Candy Category - Best Immersive Audio Campaign
Audio campaigns that achieved the most immersive experience by leveraging techniques unique to sound.

For the Fans Category - Best Audience Strategy Campaign
Campaigns that effectively engaged fans of artists and creators on Spotify through outstanding audience strategy.

Mic Drop - Grand Prix   &nbsp ; 
The overall most outstanding campaign

● Open Call Category

Future Hitmakers Category - Best Innovative Idea
Creative campaign ideas only possible on Spotify, addressing challenges provided by brands. The challenges are as follows.

Challenge ①: Ajinomoto "Communication connecting Ajinomoto Co., Inc. product brands with young people through sound"
For a product brand with limited experience utilizing audio media, create use cases for audio media targeting young audiences. We seek creative ideas that can be expanded to other product brands and lead to continued audio media utilization.

Challenge 2: KDDI "Moments of Youth Connected by UQ mobile"
UQ mobile aims to enhance communication with friends and family during student life. We seek innovative cross-media communication and creative ideas to establish the image "If you're getting a smartphone contract, choose UQ mobile" among youth under 18 and their parents through the audio experience of Spotify.

Challenge 3: FamilyMart "Make a little better choice in your daily life, with Famima"
We are seeking creative ideas that leverage the Spotify audio experience to connect FamilyMart's "Food Loss Reduction Initiative" with "behavioral change among consumers."

[Eligibility & Application Notes]

All companies, organizations, and advertising agencies that have utilized Spotify for marketing by July 31, 2025, can participate free of charge. The open-call "Future Hitmakers" category is for submitting new ideas addressing the challenge, not for submitting completed campaigns. This category is open to residents of Japan aged 30 or younger. Affiliation and job type are not restricted. There are no limits on the number of challenges or ideas submitted. For full submission details, refer to the Spotify Hits 2025 website.

【Judging Process】

Preliminary Screening
The Spotify Hits Secretariat will review the application form to ensure the information is complete and meets the application requirements.

First Round Judging
From entries meeting the requirements, the First Round Judging Committee (Mr. Koichiro Shima, Mr. Yusuke Sato, and several Creative Marketing staff from Spotify's Advertising Division) will evaluate submissions based on the criteria below and category-specific evaluation standards to select finalists. For the Future Hitmakers category, representative judges and relevant personnel from each company will also participate in the judging.

Presentation/Final Judging
Finalists will present to the judges at a review session scheduled for September. Details will be provided after finalists are selected.

【Key Dates】
July 31 (Thu)　Application Deadline
September (Tentative): Presentation & Final Judging
Early November (tentative): Award Ceremony and Announcement of Winners

【Judges】

●General Judges (Titles omitted, listed in Japanese syllabary order)
Noriko Kitahara (CEO/Brand Creator, MICHI inc.)
Yusuke Sato (Creative Director/CM Planner, Dentsu Inc.)
TaiTan (Rapper / Creative Director)
Koichiro Shima (Executive Officer, Hakuhodo)
Shouhei Hashimoto (Spotify Japan, Head of Creative Strategy, Advertising Business)
Takashi Wasa (CEO, Jukebox Dreams)

●Corporate Representative Judges (Titles Omitted, Alphabetical Order)
Hikaru Adachi (FamilyMart Executive Director, CMO & Head of Marketing Business Division, CCRO (Chief Creative Officer) & Head of Digital Business Division)
Baba Takeshi (Head, Brand Communication Division, KDDI)
Ikuko Mukai (Deputy Center Director, Marketing Design Center; Head of Communication Design Department, Food Business Division, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.)

 

■Details and applications for the Advertising Awards are available on the Spotify Hits 2025 website.