All Rise For Your Chief Judge
• The Radio Mercury Awards is pleased to announce Danny Gonzalez, co-Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of Bandits & Friends, as the 2026 Chief Judge for the 35th annual Radio Mercury Awards competition.
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. Gonzalez was also 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,” said Gonzalez. “I’m 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,” said Mike Hulvey, Pres. & CEO of RAB and 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.
