From motherhood to an immigrant’s journey from humble roots to stardom, our 2026 Creative 100 class of directors turned their lenses on overlooked struggles. They made ordinary people the main characters, and showed how deeply human stories can resonate in a world increasingly hungry for authenticity.

Hamish Hamilton
Done + Dusted

Doing it all: The only director ever to achieve the quadruple feat of filming the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Super Bowl—directing 16 consecutive Halftime Shows—Hamish Hamilton is the eye through which we experience the biggest live cultural moments. He’s been recognized with multiple Bafta and Emmy awards over more than three decades, with a career spanning over 200 major broadcast events from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to the MTV Music Awards.  

Rare vision: It was Hamilton behind the lens for Bad Bunny’s history-making Super Bowl 60 performance, as well as Netflix’s BTS The Comeback Live show, showcasing his skills at translating a stadium event into an intimate story. And he’ll do it again for the first-ever FIFA World Cup Halftime Show this summer.

Link to full article: https://www.adweek.com/creativity/the-2026-creative-100-directors-taking-genre-films-to-the-mainstream/