The Radio Mercury Awards has settled on its chief judge for 2027. BeautifulBeast Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Flor Leibaschoff will oversee the jury for the 36th annual competition edition, bringing an advertising career built on cross-cultural creative.
She is the first Hispanic woman to serve as a chief creative officer in the US, and among the first Young Creatives to win a Silver Cannes Lion for the US Hispanic market. She has also served as president of Círculo Creativo USA, and her work has been recognized at international advertising festivals, including two 2026 Radio Mercury Awards.
Bandits & Friends Co-Chief Creative Officer Danny Gonzalez served as chief judge for the 35th annual awards.
Award categories, Call for Entry guidelines, and deadlines for the 36th annual competition will be announced soon.
Leibaschoff said, “Our job is to make people who don’t want to hear us listen anyway, and maybe even fall in love. That challenge still keeps me going, and there’s only one way to win them over: a great idea. It’s a true honor to be named chief judge of the Mercury Awards, a staple of our industry for 36 years. What I love most about radio is that there are no case studies. You hit play, and the idea either works or it doesn’t.”
RAB President and CEO Mike Hulvey stated, “Flor has been a longtime friend and champion of the Radio Mercury Awards, and we’ve valued our partnership with her in strengthening and elevating the competition. We’re thrilled to welcome her as chief judge for our 36th annual awards and look forward to the creative vision and leadership she’ll bring to this year’s competition.”
