A Masterpiece of Integration: Fingerpaint Group Wins Network of the Year at 2026 Manny Awards

Wins across network and creative categories affirm Fingerpaint Group's integrated model as a market-defining force in the life sciences.

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J., April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fingerpaint Group claimed top honors at the 2026 Manny Awards, earning Network of the Year and Best Consumer Digital Campaign. This historic win marks the first time an independent agency has ever secured the Network of the Year title, breaking a long-standing industry precedent. The wins, spanning the organization's network and creative capabilities, validate what Fingerpaint has built: a fully integrated commercialization platform connecting marketing, medical communications, and market access in service of the world's most innovative life sciences companies.

"This is the ultimate affirmation of the culture we've been building," said Bill McEllen, CEO of Fingerpaint Group. "We set out to prove that by dissolving the traditional barriers between our teams, we create an environment that delivers meaningful change from early-stage development to patient delivery. Being named Network of the Year, alongside recognition across our marketing, medical, and market access groups, proves that when you trust people and unite their talents, the results speak for themselves."

A Proven Architecture for Commercial Success

The 2026 Manny Awards nominations represent every core pillar of the Fingerpaint Group ecosystem:

Network of the Year – Fingerpaint Group
Agents of Change – Fingerpaint Group
MedComms Agency of the Year – Fingerpaint Medical
Market Access Agency of the Year – Fingerpaint Market Access
Best Consumer Digital Campaign – Fingerpaint Marketing
Best Professional Digital Campaign – Fingerpaint Marketing

While many organizations operate as a collection of disconnected teams, Fingerpaint Group's sustained growth is driven by its "connected-by-design" approach. Today, Fingerpaint Group partners with 95% of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies.

This integration is further evidenced by client behavior: two-thirds of Fingerpaint Group's partners now engage multiple solutions across the platform, drawing on the collective power of branding, medical affairs, medical communications, and market access to navigate increasingly crowded therapeutic categories.

The Industry's Integrated Standard

The Network of the Year award recognizes the healthcare agency group demonstrating exceptional performance across disciplines, client partnerships, and organizational growth. For Fingerpaint Group, this is the capstone recognition of a deliberate strategy to build a fully integrated commercialization partner that unites marketing, branding, medical affairs, medical communications, and market access without sacrificing the agility and personal commitment that defined the company from day one. Under McEllen's leadership, the organization has scaled into a top 20 healthcare agency while maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit that clients and talent cite as a defining differentiator.

The Agents of Change nomination further underscores what drives Fingerpaint Group's performance: a "people-first" culture that treats diversity of thought as a competitive advantage. The organization has built its leadership bench almost entirely from within, investing in talent development at every level and creating an environment where collaboration across disciplines is the norm, not the exception. It is a model that attracts top talent and retains it, fueling the kind of sustained excellence that the Manny Awards are designed to recognize.

"We're building a stronger, more strategic organization," said McEllen. "Smart use of technology, a connected team, and a real commitment to our client partners across every part of the business. Network of the Year is a reflection of all of that."

The 36th annual Manny Awards ceremony was held on April 23, 2026, in New York City.

About Fingerpaint Group

Fingerpaint Group is an award-winning, top 20 healthcare agency and a unified commercialization platform for the life sciences. Partnering with 95% global pharmaceutical companies, Fingerpaint Group combines imagination with innovation to unlock the greatness of brands. The organization is human-led and AI-enabled, rejecting simple automation in favor of reclaiming space for strategic thinking and creative courage. With an industry-leading retention rate and a science-first approach, Fingerpaint Group provides the deep continuity and expertise required to navigate today's data-driven healthcare landscape. Learn more at www.fingerpaint.com.

About Knox Lane

Based in San Francisco, Knox Lane is a growth-oriented investment firm comprised of a team of accomplished investors and operators with a shared work history and a strong track record of partnering with leading companies to accelerate transformational growth. Knox Lane employs an investor-operator mindset and seeks to provide support across a number of business components, including human capital, brand management, end-to-end digital transformation, sourcing, supply chain and logistics, strategic acquisitions, and business development. For more information, please visit www.knoxlane.com.

Media Contact
Paul Hagopian
Chief Growth Officer
Fingerpaint Group
[email protected]

SOURCE Fingerpaint Group