NEW YORK, NY – (December 9, 2025) – Clio Sports, the awards that honor creative excellence in sports marketing and advertising around the globe, announced the entrants that earned prestigious Grand Clios Sports Awards at a ceremony hosted by ESPN Social and Digital Contributor, Katie Feeney this evening. The event, hosted at Tribeca Rooftop in New York City, brings together leading executives from teams, leagues, media companies, commercial brands and creative agencies to celebrate the creative work that helped shape sports culture this year.
The Grand Clio Sports statues, which are awarded to work that is deemed “head and shoulders” above all other submissions in a given medium, were handed out to nine entries in the following disciplines:
- Branded Entertainment/Content: “Kyikatêjê” by Area 23, an IPG Health Company for Gavião Kyikatejê FC
- Creative Effectiveness: “Kyle F*cking Connor” by Courage for KFC Canada
- Design: “The Great Indian Dunk” by Leo UAE for NBA India
- Experience/Activation: “Kyle F*cking Connor” by Courage for KFC Canada
- Fan Engagement: “Kyle F*cking Connor” by Courage for KFC Canada
- Film: “Obsession” by BigTime Creative Shop for General Entertainment Authority
- Film Craft: “So Win” by Widen+Kennedy Portland for Nike
- Gameday Fan Experience: “Hank Aaron Tribute at MLB All-Star” by Major League Baseball
- Out of Home: “Marathon Hijack CDMX” by Wieden+Kennedy México for Nike
- Partnerships & Sponsorships: “Football is for Food” by Special US for Uber Eats
- Public Relations: “Kyikatêjê” by Area 23, an IPG Health Company for Gavião Kyikatejê FC
- Social Good: “It’s Part Of The Game” by MullenLowe for Persil (Dirt Is Good)
“This year’s winners are from all corners of the world, they represent different sports and different cultures, but what they all have in common is connectivity,” said Maher Labban, Executive Director, Clios Sports. “Each piece builds a connective tissue between sports and their fans, and that’s what I think is so special about this industry. We really get to see how ideas can bring people together to celebrate a common passion and our winners have raised the bar this year with the way they’ve gone about accomplishing that goal.”
Clio Sports Awards were also given out on stage for the Of The Year winners, which are determined by identifying the entrants with the most statue points earned for work submitted across all mediums. The 2025 Clio Sports Of The Year Winners are:
- Agency Of The Year: Courage
- Brand Of The Year: KFC Canada
- League Of The Year: National Basketball Association
- Media Brand Of The Year: Netflix
- Team Of The Year: Gavião Kyikatejê FC
The Clio Sports Impact Award, presented by AT&T, is given to a person or organization that has made a significant impact on popular culture by channeling their platform in innovative ways that move their industry forward and bring about social change. This year, the award celebrates renowned footballer, philanthropist, and advocate, Deyna Castellanos. In addition to her athletic achievements as a forward for the Portland Thorns FC and a standout on the Venezuela National Team, she has made history as the highest-paid foreign player in the NWSL, a milestone that has elevated the visibility of Venezuelan football on the world stage. Beyond her achievements on the field, Castellanos has made a profound impact by helping youth players pursue both academic and athletic success. Through her work with the Queen Deyna Legacy Program, an organization that grants scholarships for young women to study in the United States, she is opening doors for that once seemed out of reach.
Additionally, the Clio Sports Honorary Award celebrates athletes who have creatively applied their talent and celebrity to move their industry forward in innovative ways. Rapper ASAP Ferg presented this year's award to Nigel Sylvester, a professional BMX athlete whose boundary-pushing stunts and viral content have redefined sports and creativity. From becoming the first BMX rider featured in the ESPN Body Issue to creating the groundbreaking “GO” YouTube series with over 90 million streams, Sylvester has turned his craft into a powerful brand. His collaborations with McDonald’s, Levi’s, David Yurman, Sony, and decades-long sneaker partnerships with Nike and Jordan have made him a cultural force in sport and style. Through the Nigel Sylvester Foundation and initiatives like the MTA’s Ride Inside, Stay Alive campaign, he empowers youth, promotes financial literacy, and opens access to biking.
The official sponsors of Clio Sports Michelob ULTRA, Frito-Lay and AT&T. The supporting sponsor is Massive Music. Creative partners are Davide Barco, Ryval Studios, Brent Allen Hagel and Scripto. And program partners are Awards360, Ads of the World by Clios and Muse by Clios.
The full list of previously announced Clio Sports Gold, Silver, Bronze and Shortlist recipients is available at www.Clios.com/sports.
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About Clio Sports
Clio Sports, founded in 2014, is one of five verticals developed by the Clios to celebrate creative excellence in a specialized field. The program champions boundary-pushing marketing, advertising, and communications from the teams, leagues, brands, agencies, and media brands that shape sports culture. Each cycle, leaders from across the global sports industry convene to determine which entries will earn the prestigious Grand, Gold, Silver and Bronze Clio Sports Awards.
About the Clios
The Clios were founded in 1959 to celebrate creative excellence in advertising around the world. The Clio Awards legacy program sets a high bar across the globe for all creatives, inspiring the makers of today and tomorrow to pursue boundary-pushing ideas and bringing the community together at an annual world-class jury retreat and awards ceremony. As the industry expands and evolves, the Clios have developed programs across sports, music, health, entertainment, and more that adhere to the same criteria and standards, but are tailored to recognize the specific challenges and triumphs of a particular sector.
As a champion for the power of creativity to drive commerce and culture, the Clios are a constant source of inspiration via thought leadership programming, a vast global database of ads at AdsOfTheWorld.com, and a hub for original content at MuseByClios.com.
To learn more about how to enter or view our gallery of award winners, visit Clios.com.
10 December 2025
