OVER 1,000 BRANDS VIE FOR TOP HONOURS AT 20TH WORLD BRANDING AWARDS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- The 20th World Branding Awards celebrated the achievements of leading brands across National, Regional, and Global categories.

In the 2025–2026 edition, more than 1,092 brands from 66 countries were nominated for “Brand of the Year”, with fewer than 100 brands ultimately receiving recognition for excellence.

This year's ceremony marked a milestone as the event was held outside London for the first time, taking place at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts. The celebration welcomed over 80 international guests and featured a keynote session on immersive brand experiences.

“The World Branding Awards goes beyond celebrating success; it spotlights the vision, effort, and emotional resonance behind every brand. Winners are recognised not just for what they sell, but for what they stand for,” said World Branding Forum Chairman, Richard Rowles.

According to the organiser in a statement, among the Global Tier honourees were IKEA of Sweden, Denmark’s Lurpak, Germany’s Sennheiser and Japan’s Yakult, reflecting broad international representation across industries.

Winners from Singapore include Irvins Salted Eggs, KOI Thé, Tiger Balm, TWG Tea, and Ya Kun Kaya Toast. Other National tier winners include Airland (Hong Kong), Aurora (Thailand), Bangkok Bank (Thailand), Farm Fresh (Malaysia), Indomaret (Indonesia), Kopi Kenangan (Indonesia), Partners (Philippines), PTT Station (Thailand), and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (Malaysia), among others.

Only 20 brands earned the Regional Tier award, recognised for their influence in four or more countries across three or more regional markets, namely M-150 (Thailand), MR DIY (Malaysia), Nippon Rent-A-Car (Japan), Tsui Wah (Hong Kong), Vitaday (Thailand), and Watsons (Malaysia).

More than 91,000 consumers worldwide participated in this year’s nominations, with an average of only five winning brands per country, underscoring the exclusivity and competitive nature of the awards.

-- BERNAMA