Remezcla and Casanova//McCann Lead 2026 HMC Strategic Excellence Awards Winners

The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) announced the winners of the 2026 HMC Strategic Excellence Awards Powered by Collage Group at its Annual Summit in New York City. Remezcla Agency was awarded Grand Prix for Major League Baseball’s “Baseball Origin Stories” campaign, while Casanova//McCANN earned “Best in Show” for Nestlé Coffee mate’s “The Last of the Non-Cafecito Lovers.”

Now celebrating its 20th year, the Strategic Excellence Awards recognize the most impactful, culturally fluent marketing driving growth with Hispanic consumers. This year’s winners highlight the power of combining cultural insight, strategic rigor and creative excellence to deliver measurable business results.

A total of eight Gold, eight Silver, 10 Bronze and four honorable mention awards were presented to 14 companies representing 22 campaigns across multiple categories. As part of HMC’s partnership with FIAP (Festival Iberoamericano de Creatividad), top-winning work will advance to represent U.S. Hispanic marketing excellence on a global stage.

2026 STRATEGIC EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

GRAND PRIX: Remezcla Agency for Major League Baseball’s “Baseball Origin Stories”

BEST IN SHOW: Casanova//McCann for Nestlé Coffee mate’s “The Non-Cafecito Lover Anti-Influencer Campaign”

Best Hispanic Cultural Insight

GOLD: Remezcla Agency for Major League Baseball’s “Baseball Origin Stories”
SILVER: Casanova//McCann for Nestlé Coffee mate’s “The Last of the Non-Cafecito Lovers”
BRONZE: Casanova//McCann for U.S. Bank’s “The Power of Us: Supporting the One Who Carries the Family”
Honorable Mention: alma for McDonald’s “Dulce de Leche”

Cause Marketing

GOLD: Casanova McCann for “Corridos Rescue Corridos,” an LGBTQ homelessness relief campaign on behalf of the LGBTQ Center OC, The Translatina Coalition, Universal Music Publishing Group and D Luna Music
SILVER: BeautifulBeast for Fundación Cardiológica Argentina/Argentine Heart Foundation’s cardiovascular awareness campaign, “Mom’s Heart”
BRONZE: NGLmitú for Walmart’s “Filmmaker Mentorship Program”
Honorable Mention: BeautifulBeast for Avocados From Mexico’s “Insulin-Free Song”

Content Creator & Consumer Engagement Strategy

GOLD: Casanova//McCann for Nestlé Coffee mate’s “The Non-Cafecito Lover Anti-Influencer Campaign”
BRONZE: BeautifulBeast for Fundación Cardiológica Argentina/Argentine Heart Foundation’s cardiovascular awareness campaign, “Mom’s Heart”
BRONZE: d expósito & Partners for NYC Health + Hospitals’ “NYC Care Influencer Campaign”

Creative Ingenuity

GOLD: Casanova McCann for “Corridos Rescue Corridos,” an LGBTQ homelessness relief campaign on behalf of the LGBTQ Center OC, The Translatina Coalition, Universal Music Publishing Group and D Luna Music
SILVER: Ally Financial’s campaign with Univision, “Cuentas Claras”
BRONZE: Lopez Negrete Communications for H-E-B’s “El Corazón de las Fiestas”
Honorable Mention: BeautifulBeast for Avocados From Mexico’s “Insulin-Free Song”

Impact on Innovation

GOLD: alma for Coors Light’s “Refresh the Game”
SILVER: Canela Media for “Club Canela”

Impactful Multicultural Research

SILVER: LatiNation / ThinkNow for “Culture Decoded: How Hispanic Gen Z Redefines Authentic Brand Engagement” Collage Group for “America Now 2026”
BRONZE: Lopez Negrete Communications for Texas Music Educators Association’s “Music Makes You Unstoppable”
BRONZE: Collage Group for “America Now 2026: Understanding the Consumer Response to a Nation in Flux”

Mainstream Impact

GOLD: alma for Topo Chico Hard’s “Adiós / Hello”
SILVER: Hispanic Group for UnitedHealthcare ACA Plans and Clinics’ “Sanitas”
BRONZE: BeautifulBeast for Avocados From Mexico’s “Insulin-Free Song”

Media Connections & Content Strategy Impact

GOLD: Remezcla Agency for Major League Baseball’s “Baseball Origin Stories”
SILVER: Canela Media for Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry’s “Sprite Noches Buenas”
BRONZE: Hispanic Group for UnitedHealthcare ACA Plans and Clinics’ “Sanitas”

Shopper and/or Experiential Impact

GOLD: alma for Coors Light’s “Refresh the Game”
SILVER: Lopez Negrete Communications for H-E-B’s “El Corazón de las Fiestas”
BRONZE: CIEN+ for Kellanova Cheez-It’s “Latinos don’t snack. We botaneamos”
Honorable Mention: Zubi for Ford Motor Company’s Capability & Trust “Driven by More” Social Proof Campaign