The American Advertising Federation (AAF) announced that pop music icon Barry Manilow and actress Marlo Thomas will be presented the organization’s 2026 prestigious President’s Award.    

The President’s Award recognizes an individual’s special lifetime contributions to advertising. It will be presented next April as part of the AAF’s Advertising Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Past recipients of the President’s Award have included Spike Lee, Michael J. Fox, Robert DeNiro and, most recently, Annie Liebovitz, in 2022.   

Manilow has produced, composed and performed iconic commercial jingles for companies and brands such as State Farm (“Like A Good Neighbor”), Band-Aid (I’m Stuck On Band Aid”), Pepsi (“Join The Pepsi Generation”), McDonald’s (“You Deserve A Break Today”) and more.  With a career spanning more than five decades, Manilow has sold more than 85 million albums worldwide.    

Thomas’ career has blended entertainment, advocacy and purpose-driven communication. Her work as National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has led to iconic campaigns, including one she created – the annual holiday St. Jude Thanks and Giving initiative, that raised over a billion dollars in the past 20+ years. An eight-time New York Times best-selling author, the AAF credits Thomas for using her public influence for values-based messaging, showing how advertising builds a more compassionate society, now and into the future.   

AAF will also be making contributions to causes that are close to each President’s Award recipient.  For Manilow, it’s the Manilow Music Project which empowers underfunded school music programs.   

For Thomas, it’s St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.