The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, scheduled for 22–26 June 2026, has unveiled a series of substantial updates to its Awards as the industry prepares for submissions opening on 15 January 2026. These developments reflect the rapid evolution of commercial creativity and its growing impact on global business and culture. The most notable addition is the introduction of the Creative Brand Lion, a new Award designed to recognise the internal infrastructures that enable sustained creative excellence within brands.
Elevating the Brands Behind the Work
The Creative Brand Lion represents a strategic shift in the Festival’s recognition framework. Instead of focusing solely on creative outputs, the new Award will evaluate the systems, organisational cultures, operational processes, and long-term capabilities that make breakthrough creative work achievable and repeatable.
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, outlined the rationale behind this evolution:
“For seven decades, Cannes Lions has celebrated the ideas that generate demand for brands worldwide. However, for 2026, our focus expands to the conditions that produce those ideas. This Lion will acknowledge the brands that invest in the structures and practices enabling world-class creative marketing and measurable business impact.”
Cook added that, amid accelerating industry transformation and heightened scrutiny on returns from creative investment, it is essential to highlight organisations that are strengthening internal foundations to support creative effectiveness over the long term.
Evolving Categories: Data, AI and Retail Media
Alongside the new Creative Brand Lion, Cannes Lions has confirmed adjustments across multiple categories to reflect current industry dynamics:
Creative Data Lion – Complete Refresh
The category has been redefined to mirror the evolution of data’s role in creativity. Entrants will now be required to demonstrate how data informed core strategic thinking, drove the creative idea from inception, and contributed to quantifiable business outcomes.
AI Craft – New Subcategories Across Craft Lions
New AI Craft subcategories will recognise creative work in which human craftsmanship and artificial intelligence complement one another to produce outcomes unattainable by either alone. The emphasis is placed on intentional use of AI, genuine artistry, and the purposeful integration of technology in service of the creative idea.
Retail Media – Expanded Presence
Acknowledging retail media’s designation as 2025’s fastest-growing advertising medium, Cannes Lions has expanded retail media subcategories within both the Creative Strategy and Creative Data Lions. This expansion reflects increased innovation within retail media ecosystems and their growing relevance in brand-consumer engagement.
Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards at LIONS, commented:
“Data has become a catalyst for creativity, AI is broadening the horizon of what’s achievable, and retail media is reshaping how brands communicate with consumers. These updates demonstrate that technology is no longer supplementary to creativity — it is integral to pioneering new creative frontiers.”
Additional Festival Announcements
The Call for Content for Cannes Lions 2026 is now open until 31 December 2025, welcoming proposals from global industry professionals wishing to contribute to the Festival’s thought-leadership agenda. Submissions must be made through the Festival’s official content portal.
