Finalists for the 2025 Outstanding Radio Creative Awards (ORCA) and Student ORCAs have been announced!

TRB’s annual creative awards celebrate outstanding audio advertising across NZ commercial radio and associated streaming platforms.

And it’s not just about the professionals; the ORCAs also recognise rising creative talent. In 2025, students from AUT University and Media Design School took on real‑world briefs: NZME’s hit Sex.Life podcast and MediaWorks’ fresh ROVA app re-launch.

The Judging
All entries are judged on four criteria: creativity, execution, effectiveness, and innovation. Our 2025 Grand ORCA Judges were Matt Watts (Chemistry), Ashwin Gopal (TBWA) Freddie Coltart (DDB), Matt Williams (DDB), and independent ECD Kristal Knight.
Matt Watts, Ashwin and Kristal also did double duty as Student ORCA Judges.

Their picks for the finalists are:

Grand ORCA Finalists

Ministry of Social Development's Love Better Campaign & Clemenger – Going Through The Emotions
Sadness, Anger, Jealousy, Loneliness
Alex Metson, Emily Beautrais, Brigid Alkema

Delivereasy & Colenso BBDO – Get Takeout Without Going Out
Crippled Pigeons, Killer Bees, Street Condoms
Andrew Hathaway, Kelly France, Simon Vicars

Green Cross Health & FCB – Thankfully On Uber Eats
Pregnant Pickle, Jalapeno Cream, Cabernet Condoms
Alan Jones, Angelo An, Hannah Watts, Letitia MacKenzie

2degrees & TBWA\NZ – Phone Lullabies
Brahms Lullaby, Hush Little Baby, Rock a Bye Baby
Ezra Whall, Mark Cameron, Shane Bradnick

ANZ & TBWA\NZ – Black Friday
Black Friday
Ashley Wilding

Student ORCA Finalists

AUT University
Sex.Life - I Could Be Into That
Crossed Wires, Up the Creek, Who's Your Daddy
Devon O’Halloran & Cecilia So

Media Design School
Sex.Life - Onosexopoeia
The Clap, Pumpkink, Oscillating
Chanel Poomphuang & Tea Riihimaki

Sex.Life - Raunchy Regions
The Bay of Not So Plenty, Naki's Upperhand, The Wet Coast
Tab Eady & Lola Key

ROVA - Playing You
Ghost Content, Wedding Song, Walking on Sunshine
Liza Plyshevsky & Aidan McNeillage

Thank you to everyone that entered, and congratulations to all of this year’s finalists. Your work shows just how powerful audio can be.
A huge thank you as well, to our judges who gave so much of their time and helped make it all possible. And and to our network partners, MediaWorks and NZME, whose support ensures these awards continue to thrive.

Winners will be announced over an awards luncheon on Wednesday 19^th November, with a release to follow shortly after.