VML INDIA’S YOUNG DUO WINS GLOBAL AUDIO HONOUR AT CAIRNS HATCHLINGS 2026

VML India’s Shilpi Dey and Raj Thakkar have won the Audio category at Cairns Hatchlings 2026 in Australia with The Sounds of Humanity, a real-time Spotify track built from global user uploads. Their triumph underscores India’s creative strength and the power of audio to drive solidarity on a global stage.  

VML India has scored a landmark victory at Cairns Hatchlings 2026 in Australia, with Senior Copywriter Shilpi Dey and Senior Art Director Raj Thakkar clinching the top prize in the Audio category. Their winning idea, The Sounds of Humanity, transformed a live 24-hour brief from the UN Foundation—focused on saving 87 million lives by redirecting the subscription economy toward human survival—into an intimate, evolving anthem.  

The concept leveraged real-time API integration to build a living Spotify track from global user uploads, turning everyday human sounds into a collective audio experience. Speaking about the marathon challenge, Shilpi and Raj described battling nerves, self-doubt and sleeplessness, but said the sheer purpose of the brief kept them going. “We wanted to use the raw, real sounds of people to create an immediate emotional connection and prove that audio can be an active tool for solidarity,” they noted, adding that the win made every scrapped idea and late-night pivot worthwhile.  

Kalpesh Patankar, Group Chief Creative Officer at VML India, applauded the achievement, calling it “truly special” as it came from a platform dedicated to emerging APAC talent. He emphasised that the duo’s success reinforced the belief that India’s next generation of creatives can deliver globally relevant, culturally nuanced and emotionally compelling work.  

This year’s Cairns Hatchlings finals saw VML India field one team each in Audio and Design, continuing their streak of creative excellence since the competition’s inception last year. The victory not only highlights the rising influence of Indian talent on the international stage but also underscores the power of audio as a medium for solidarity and human connection.