The TLFT Awards are the only awards program dedicated exclusively to recognizing excellence in thought leadership. Launched in 2025, the awards celebrate campaigns that generate measurable business impact across Revenue, Relationships, Reputation, and Real-World Impact.
For our second year, we assembled a judging panel of four senior thought leadership practitioners:
- Ty Heath, Global Director, Thought Leadership GTM Strategy at LinkedIn
- Lisa Higgins, President & CEO of APQC
- Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Marketing at Atlassian
- Rob Mitchell, Co-Founder of Exhibit B
These are people actively working in thought leadership, running their own programs, and evaluating what good looks like every day. They know how to spot strong strategy and measurable outcomes. We trust their judgment completely, and we’re grateful for the time and care they put into this process.
Now for the results.
The winners & why
Thought Leadership Brand Elevation Award: Infosys
Multinational technology and consulting firm, Infosys, won the Brand Elevation Award for ambitious, coherent work across multiple integrated campaigns. The judges noted a consistent strategic thread running through the work, supported by strong data and reputation evidence.
Thought Leadership Industry Catalyst Award: Accenture
Accenture, global leaders in professional services, took home the Industry Catalyst Award for their Top Banking Trends 2026 report. The judges made their decision quickly thanks to clear commercial impact, a structured framework, and a point of view sharp enough to shift the market conversation.
Thought Leadership Storytelling Award: Publicis Sapient
Digital transformation specialists, Publicis Sapient, won the Storytelling Award for their Guide to Next 2026. The panel were unanimous, impressed by the distinctive concept, measurable results, multi-format activation, and precise, original storytelling throughout.
What set them apart
Ty Heath pointed to focus as the defining factor: “What impressed the panel most was how focused these campaigns were. The winners picked clear objectives, built everything around those goals, and demonstrated impact with strong, verifiable data.”
Three things kept coming up across all the winning entries. First, coherence. Everything in each campaign supported one clear strategy. Second, commercial clarity. They showed real business results with solid data. Third, storytelling precision. The concepts were different enough to shift conversations in their markets.
Yogesh Shah, our CEO, spoke to the broader shift in standards: “Trust takes work to earn now, and that’s the standard these finalists were held to. Thought leadership in 2026 needs to build trust, influence decisions, and prove commercial value. Being able to recognize this caliber of work is a pleasure, as thought leadership deserves the same standards of excellence we apply everywhere else in business and isn’t recognized nearly enough.”
Celebrating on June 4
We’re celebrating all three winners at TLFT 2026 on June 4 at the Harvard Club in New York. Ty Heath will lead a panel session breaking down what made these campaigns work and how they stood out from everything else the judges reviewed.
Congratulations to Infosys, Accenture, and Publicis Sapient.
