NYF Health names 2026 executive jury chairs for health and pharma

New York Festivals’ NYF Health Awards has named Rich Levy of Klick Health and Jason Graff of VML Health to chair its 2026 Health & Wellness and Pharma Executive Juries. The juries will meet in New York City in November to judge global entries ahead of the August 19 early bird deadline.

Why it matters: - The executive juries will help decide which healthcare, wellness and pharmaceutical campaigns win at one of the industry’s best-known awards programs. - The judging mix includes creative, strategy, production, patient advocacy and nonprofit leaders, signaling a broader definition of healthcare effectiveness. - The program’s theme, “Rewarding Those Who See Health Differently,” points to work that pairs creativity with measurable impact.

What happened: - New York Festivals’ NYF Health Awards announced its 2026 Health & Wellness Executive Jury and Pharma Executive Jury. - Rich Levy, chief creative officer at Klick Health, will chair the Health & Wellness Executive Jury. - Jason Graff, global chief creative officer at VML Health, will chair the Pharma Executive Jury. - The executive juries will convene in New York City this November. - The early bird deadline for the 2026 NYF Health Awards is August 19. - Competition rules, categories and entry information are available here.

The details: - The Health & Wellness Executive Jury includes Barb Graetzer of Grey Health NY, Lisa Ireland of Cancer Support Community, Jonathan Isaacs of Antidote, Joy Kelly of Fifth Element, David Leonardi of Jacques, Alexis Penty of EVERSANA INTOUCH, Michael Schreiber of Remedy Edge / Wildtype, Wid Souza of Digitas Health and Eduardo Tavares of Edelman. - The Pharma Executive Jury includes Christian Bauman of Imre, Beth Elkis of Accenture Song Life, USA, Eric Kraus of McKinney Health, Emily “KK” Knight-Kristoffersen of The Considered, Anna Kotis of Calcium+Company, Loren Levinson of Moon Rabbit, Chinkara Singh of Havas Health Network, Rui Yang of Novartis and Donna Wrotny Smith of Propeller. - Shortlisted entries will first be reviewed by the online, international NYF Health Shortlist Jury. - The executive juries will conduct a specialized evaluation of shortlisted work. - NYF Health says the judging process will be rigorous, thoughtful and collaborative. - The broader 2026 Executive Jury, together with the soon-to-be-announced Shortlist Jury, is intended to bring global perspective and industry expertise to the competition.

Between the lines: - The jury lineup leans heavily on senior creative leadership, but it also brings in voices from strategy, production and patient advocacy. - That mix suggests the awards want to judge not just polish, but whether the work resonates in real healthcare settings. - Naming the chairs early gives the competition a headline-grabbing start as agencies and brands decide whether to enter.

What's next: - NYF Health will announce the Shortlist Jury soon. - The executive juries will review entries in November in New York City. - More entries are expected before the August 19 early bird deadline. - Winners will come from the combined review process across the shortlist and executive juries.

The bottom line: - NYF Health is setting up a high-profile, cross-disciplinary judging panel to steer its 2026 awards and spotlight work that pushes healthcare communications beyond category norms.