2025 AICP Awards committee unveiled

Matt Miller, President and CEO of AICP, announced that Patrick Milling-Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of SMUGGLER, and James Razzall, U.S. President, Integrated Advertis-ing, of Framestore, have been named Chairpersons of the 2025 AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial, and the 2025 AICP Post Awards, respectively.

“I feel honoured and excited,” notes Milling-Smith, of being asked to Chair the AICP Show. “I’m touched by the generosity of previous Chairs, who nominated me and immediately reached out to offer any help and perspective. My goal is just to be a worthy custodian and champion of the 34th year of the show. We plan to do our industry proud as we continue to remind our peers of this competition’s unique place in the advertising, creative, and production landscape.”

“For me, it’s a huge honour,” echoes Razzall. “I am very excited, if a tiny bit daunted by the task at hand. What makes it more gratifying is that, in the fall of 2025, I’ll have been part of Framestore for 25 years, so it’s a nice landmark to be recognised by my peers.”

Razzall says being the first executive or artist from the visual effects sector reflects the discipline’s impact on the overall advertising content creation process. “It’s a testament to the way the visual effects industry has grown and matured over the years,” he adds. “I think it’s great that we’re now being viewed as such an integral part of the creative production process.”

“SMUGGLER has consistently been at the forefront of our industry, producing creative, en-gaging and effective content for brands,” says Miller. “The AICP Show Board of Governors tasked Patrick with Chairing the 2025 installment of the AICP Show because of his longstanding commitment to excellence in craft, creativity, and innovation, all hallmarks of the AICP Show.”

“Similarly, James is an outstanding leader in visual effects, and his selection reflects the scope of the AICP Post Awards,” Miller notes. “Framestore has set so many standards in creative and executional excellence under his leadership, while pushing the needle forward in terms of visual effects achievements, so having someone with his insight and experience as the Post Awards Chairperson is a true privilege.”

Commenting on the role that the AICP Show plays in the constellation of industry honours and recognition, Milling-Smith believes the competition is truly unique: “The Museum of Modern Art archiving partnership gives the show an added gravitas and sense of purpose, as does the standard of the judging and the curatorial structure,” he observes. “There is a real clarity and integrity to the AICP showcase and the nominated work traditionally has a sense of durability to it, with a distinct appreciation of craft. There is nothing disposable about the AICP.”

“On the whole, the AICP Show is a recognition of the work and the people behind that work,” Milling-Smith continues. “The entire judging process represents an opportunity for many to come together, evaluate the state of the industry and be inspired by what’s possible. And then, of course, the black-tie ad-prom gala at the MoMA in New York City. Always a beautiful mo-ment to take a breath and appreciate, perhaps even celebrate.”

Adds Razzall, “One of the many things I love about the AICP Post Awards is that it’s totally dialed in when it comes to its categories; it’s very well broken-out from a post perspective. And now that the presentation of winners during the MoMA gala has been combined with those of the AICP Show, it really shines a spotlight on the fact that the post community is such an inte-gral part of the overall commercial making process.”