Radio Mercury Awards Announce Danny Gonzalez, Co-Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Bandits & Friends, as the 2026 Chief Judge
NEW YORK – November 21, 2025 – The Radio Mercury Awards is pleased to announce Danny Gonzalez, co-chief creative officer and co-founder, Bandits & Friends, as the 2026 chief judge for the 35th annual Radio Mercury Awards competition.
 Throughout the course of his 20-year career, he has built a reputation for making the mundane unforgettable with razor-sharp insights and having a knack for revealing the unique humanity of every brand he’s touched. In 2022, Gonzalez and David Suarez teamed up with Courtney Berry (former president of The Barbarian Group) to launch Bandits & Friends, an independent, female-and minority-founded agency that believes attention can’t be bought, so bandits go steal it, and that clients deserve to be treated like friends. That rebellious spirit, paired with a deep respect for client relationships, earned them Ad Age’s Newcomer Agency of the Year and a growing list of brand partners including Schick, The Athletic, Angi, Care, The Weather Company, Show Me Organics and Liberty Mutual. Gonzalez was recognized in Adweek's Creative 100 list, an honor that highlighted two decades of work celebrated by Radio Mercury Awards, Cannes Lions, One Show, D&AD, Effie, Webby, Clios, Andy, Art Directors Club, AICP and his parents, who think he’s just swell.
“From being a Radio Mercury Awards winner to now being named the 2026 chief judge is a real honor to me,” noted Gonzalez. “I am looking forward to working with an incredible final round jury to hear the best of the best that gets entered.”
“As we walk into the 35th annual awards we want them to be as celebratory and relevant as always and indicative of radio in all its forms, noted Mike Hulvey, president and chief executive officer of RAB and the chair of the Radio Creative Fund. “Danny’s been a great friend to the awards and will do a great job of leading the charge for this year’s event.”
Awards categories for the 35th annual Radio Mercury Awards will be announced in December along with Call for Entry guidelines and deadlines.
About Radio Mercury Awards
The Radio Mercury Awards, the only competition exclusively devoted to radio and audio, was established in 1992 to encourage and reward the development of effective and creative radio commercials. The annual Radio Mercury Awards competition draws entries from advertising agencies, production houses, radio stations and educational institutions across the country. Approximately 21,000 commercials have competed in the Radio Mercury Awards and close to $3.5 million in prizes have been awarded over the past 34 years. The Radio Creative Fund (RCF), a nonprofit corporation funded by the radio industry, governs the Radio Mercury Awards. RAB produces the Radio Mercury Awards.
About Bandits & Friends
Bandits & Friends is an independently owned, award-winning, business-driven, minority & female-founded full-service creative ad agency that loves a hyphenated descriptor. And they’re the 2025 Ad Age Newcomer Agency of the Year. They believe in stealing attention on behalf of brands and treating their clients with the mutual trust and respect of a friend. Since their inception in 2023, they’ve had the privilege of calling Liberty Mutual, The National Women’s Soccer League, Angie, Schick, NOYZ, The Weather Company, Rinse, Show Me Organics, and Care.com among their friends.
Media Contact:
Madison Wright
212-681-7215
mwright@rab.com
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