Pentawards has named the winners of its 2026 global packaging design competition at a gala ceremony held on 16 October at Magazine London. The Diamond Award went to Croatian agency Studio Sonda for Piquentum Brut Nature, a wine label made from the wine’s own sediment. The competition also introduced a new Press and Influencer Gifting category as it marked its 20th anniversary.
Chloe Scanlan, marketing manager at Pentawards, said, “This year’s winners really encapsulate the direction packaging is taking. Across categories we’re seeing packaging become a tool to solve everyday problems, become part of daily habits and rituals and cut waste through clever design and engineering, all while continuing to play with color and tapping into cultural moments.”
Diamond Award: Piquentum Brut Nature
Studio Sonda received the Diamond Award for a label made using sediment from the wine’s production process. Piquentum produces wine naturally and wanted its packaging to reflect this approach.
During the second fermentation, yeast converts sugar into bubbles, creating sediment that is removed through dégorgement. Rather than discarding it, Piquentum used the material, mixed with 10% paper pulp sourced from the winemaker’s paper waste, to create what Pentawards described as the world’s first wine label made from the wine process itself.
The label develops a noble mold over time, becoming a ‘living label’ that makes each bottle its own proof of authenticity. Pentawards said the project demonstrates how packaging can use materials that would otherwise become waste.
Creative Director Jelena Fiškuš and Founder Sean Poropat said, “We are deeply honored to receive the Diamond Pentaward, the highest distinction of the competition. This recognition is the ultimate validation of our belief that today’s true premium lies in authenticity, and a deep respect for the natural process. It proves that there is immense beauty in imperfection.”
Jury member Suzy Shelley, sustainability and materials lead at Pearlfisher, said, “What I loved about this project is that it’s a beautiful piece of packaging. It’s something I’ve never seen before and not only is it really gorgeous but it’s also really innovative.”
Platinum winners
In Beverages, Australian Vintage’s Poco Vino won for its 187 ml single-serve wine format, offering an alternative to the conventional 750 ml bottle. Designed for casual, mid-week and solo occasions, its smaller size reduces waste, while stackable, fridge-friendly displays improve shelf efficiency. Vibrant colours distinguish the wine varieties. Jury member Tatjana Dubovina Jokić, creative director at IW Agency, said, “What I liked about this entry was that it’s a very interesting format, it’s tactile, it’s very simple yet elegant, but it’s also made for the mass market.”
In Food, Mutta’s Calma & Chicha (Spain) won for its contemporary approach to tinned seafood. The packaging features two illustrated characters representing sardines and mussels, with a playful colour palette designed to appeal to younger and international audiences. Jury member Maisie Benson, design director at JKR, said, “This entry really broke category conventions, it felt completely different to anything else that’s on the shelf and it just made me smile.”
In Body, Health & Beauty, Servaire & Co’s Darphin – Stimulskin Plus (France) received the award for luxury dermocosmetics packaging. A sculptural metallic cage houses a refillable glass core made with 30% recycled material. The design draws inspiration from the skin’s cellular structure and nearly 20 years of research on morphological ageing. Jury member Catherine Lee, senior vice president, global packaging, design and sustainability at Kendo Brands, said, “Not only was this project an elevated execution of the product and brand, but it also touched upon sustainability in a luxurious way that is often very hard to achieve.”
In Home, Leisure & Other Markets, Even Realities’ Mono-Kinetic: AR Smart Wearable Packaging Collection (China) won for its AR glasses packaging. Made from a single material, the box uses V-shaped folds that lower its four sides as the inner tray is lifted. The structure also protects the lenses from drops without additional padding. Jury member Quang Tran, senior packaging designer at Bang & Olufsen, said: “This was such a pleasure to unbox. There was super clear design language used throughout the unpacking journey, and it was a journey. From the structural packaging to the visual language, all of it was another level of design.”
In Brand Identity & Connected Packaging, Heinz Dipper by The Kraft Heinz Company (USA) won for a fry box featuring a fold-out ketchup pocket based on the Heinz keystone logo. The design eliminates separate sauce pots and turns the box into a branded point-of-sale feature. Jury member Claire Robertshaw, global executive creative director at Design Bridge and Partners, said, “For me the Heinz Dipper really stood out, what I loved about it was that it’s both graphic and structural packaging working hard together. It fused the distinctive assets of the brand and showed how powerful those assets can be when really amplified at scale.”
In Sustainable Design, Sanopack Innovation’s Combox (Spain) was recognised for its compostable takeaway packaging. Variable digital printing allows each box to carry dish-specific ingredients, allergen information, seasonal menus and individual QR codes for campaigns and traceability. Jury member Sebba Alqetrani, director, technical packaging engineering and sustainability at Nutrafol and professor at FIT/Rutgers, said, “What I loved about this was that it doesn’t ask you to choose between responsibility and function – it communicates the compost and no two packs are the same.”
In Professional Concepts, Abisal Studio’s Nude (Spain) won for a minimalist luxury skincare concept. Its glass bottle uses a spherical dropper bulb as the closure, eliminating the plastic collar and overcap to reduce components, waste and manufacturing complexity.
Other awards
The NXT-GEN Award went to Cubbly, a children’s shampoo concept by Anaëlle Van Laer of LUCA School of Art in Belgium. Each hair type has its own shampoo and cub mascot, with a pump designed for children to use independently.
Servaire & Co was named Design Agency of the Year after eight of its shortlisted entries won trophies. The People’s Choice Award, introduced in 2026, went to Korean Bros by Truffl, while Elisava (Spain) received Educator of the Year.
The Best Newcomer Award went to Good People Wander (France) and Clay Andrews (Australia). The Best Use of Embellishment Award recognised Grimaud by Good People Wander (Gold), Gifting The World Range by Hummingbird Studio (Silver) and Diversa Tequila by Tridimage, Boldrini & Ficcardi, JVD Estudio, Infinito and LIP (Bronze).
The new Press & Influencer Gifting sub-category awarded its first Gold to Emergency Pillow Bag for Night Owls by Changsha Weifeng Cosmetics.
Pentawards’ free-to-enter Brand Briefs programme also recognized young designers. For the ‘Loved by Grandma’ brief, developed with JDO, the winners were A Little Crabby by Maisie Slade (Gold), Piccli by Clara Smethurst (Silver) and Sweet Fool by Germán Miranda Garrido (Bronze).
For an accessible fragrance brief developed with Tilt and Ravensbourne University London, the winners were YouROCK by Anna Eerdmans (Gold), Fragrance, Made Effortless by Rajim Uddin (Silver) and Everyday Meridian by Tom Daly (Bronze).