London Packaging Week has unveiled the 87 finalists for its 2026 Innovation Awards, recognising the projects setting new standards for packaging across luxury, beauty, premium drinks, food, consumer goods and sustainability.
Selected from hundreds of entries submitted by brands, designers and packaging innovators worldwide, the shortlist spans 18 categories. It showcases projects that combine smarter materials, refined engineering, circular thinking and an outstanding consumer experience. Rather than rewarding novelty alone, this year's judging recognised solutions delivering commercial, environmental and consumer value. Being named a finalist places each project among the year's most accomplished packaging innovations.
Across the judging process, several clear industry shifts emerged. Fibre-based materials continue to replace conventional substrates, while mono-material construction is becoming increasingly sophisticated, improving recyclability without compromising performance. Luxury brands are investing more heavily in engineering and craftsmanship to elevate the consumer experience, while everyday products are proving that exceptional design, accessibility and sustainability can coexist at scale, underlining packaging's growing role as a driver of commercial advantage and environmental progress.
Reflecting the global reach of the awards, this year's shortlist features projects from Prada, Miu Miu, Maison Margiela, Lancôme, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Jack Daniel's, Glenmorangie, The LEGO Group, Dove, Lindt, Magnum, Heinz, Hotel Chocolat, Ocado Retail and Sainsbury's, alongside the manufacturers, design agencies and specialist innovators shaping the future of packaging.
The shortlist was selected by one of the industry's most experienced judging panels, bringing together senior packaging leaders from Burberry, Glenmorangie, No7, Starbucks, PZ Cussons, Pladis, Diageo, Superdrug, Marks & Spencer, Müller, Pernod Ricard, Trinny London and Kingfisher, alongside experts from the Food & Drink Federation, British Beauty Council, ThePackHub and Re-sources. Together, they assessed every entry against five core criteria: creativity, technical execution, manufacturability, commercial effectiveness and environmental performance.
Christelle Anya, Chair of the London Packaging Week Innovation Awards, said: "The quality of this year's entries was exceptional. What impressed the judges wasn't simply beautiful packaging, but the intelligence behind it. The strongest projects solved multiple challenges simultaneously, combining outstanding design with smarter engineering, better material choices, stronger sustainability credentials and richer consumer experiences.
"Across almost every category, we saw evidence that packaging is entering a new era. Brands are moving beyond incremental improvements and fundamentally rethinking the role packaging plays in creating value, building trust and delivering memorable experiences. This shortlist captures that evolution and showcases some of the most intelligent packaging solutions being developed anywhere in the world today."
All 85 shortlisted entries will be showcased within the Innovation Awards Showcase at London Packaging Week, allowing visitors to experience first-hand some of the year's most influential packaging projects. The winners will be revealed during the London Packaging Week Innovation Awards Ceremony on the Luxury Stage from 12:30 pm–1:30 pm on Thursday 17 September, recognising the packaging projects setting new benchmarks for creativity, sustainability and technical excellence.
Read more about the finalists here.