District 8 American Advertising Awards
The American Advertising Awards is the nation's largest advertising competition. Each year, the competition begins at the local level with the 210 AAF clubs across the country where professionals enter the best of the year's work in hopes of winning a coveted ADDY® Award.
Entries must first be submitted in a local competition to be eligible for the American Advertising Awards process. The local winners then advance to one of the 14 regional district competitions, and District winners advance to the national finals. The American Advertising Awards national judging is held in conjunction with the AAF National Conference.
Shannon Steffke is your District American Advertising Awards Chair and the National American Advertising Awards Committee Representative for District 8. Please feel free to contact her with any competition questions you may have.
Additional Resources
District 8 Competition Judging
When: When - March 23-30
Where: Judging will be held virtually
Winners Announced: April 3rd
District 8 American Advertising Awards Reception
2026 Judges
Sarah Miller
VP, Brand Strategist, Bernstein-Rein
Sarah Miller is a seasoned brand strategist with more than 20 years of experience helping brands transform complex business goals into compelling stories. At Bernstein-Rein, she leads strategy across brand architecture, consumer insights, and omni-channel execution for a diverse portfolio of clients.
Throughout her career, Sarah has led campaigns for brands including Sprint, Lee Jeans, and Gulf Oil. A former National ADDY winner and experienced AAF and NSAC judge, she brings a sharp strategic and data-informed perspective to this year’s jury.
Shane Santiago
Digital Creative Director, Bravely
With more than 26 years in the industry, Shane Santiago oversees digital creative, strategy, and implementation at Bravely. His work spans global brands including Disney, Marriott, Under Armour, Discovery, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, and the NBA.
Shane’s experience ranges from startups to Madison Avenue agencies, with work across entertainment, sports, travel, technology, apparel, and nonprofit sectors. He has been featured in publications including Advertising Age, Communication Arts, and Mashable
Rebecca Royen
Director of Brand Strategy, Center forAdvance Public Safety
Rebecca Royen is Director of Brand Strategy for a research center at The University of Alabama and incoming Governor of AAF District 7. An active leader within the American Advertising Federation, she has served in multiple leadership roles and is a past president of AAF Tuscaloosa.
With roots in design dating back to MacPaint and QuarkXPress, Rebecca brings a strong strategic perspective, a love of creativity, and a well-documented appreciation for bad puns, live music, and local coffee shops around the world.
Armand McCoy
Faculty, The University of Oklahoma
Armand McCoy is a faculty member in Strategic Communication at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and Executive Director/Faculty Advisor to Lindsey + Asp, the college’s award-winning student-run agency serving brands including Spotify, Carnival Corporation, Poppi, and the US Navy.
With more than 15 years of experience in advertising and strategic communications, Armand previously served as President & COO of Trifecta Communications. His work includes global productions, crisis communications leadership, and strategic communications initiatives for organizations including the United Nations Foundation.