Scheduled to hold from June 22 to 26, 2026, in Cannes, France, the festival will once again convene senior executives from agencies, brands and platforms to evaluate the most outstanding and impactful creative work from across the globe.
A standout moment in the 2026 announcement is the appointment of Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer at AB InBev, as the inaugural Jury President for the newly introduced Creative Brand Lion. The category has been created to recognise brands that have successfully embedded creativity into their organisational culture, systems and operations to drive consistent and measurable business impact.
Marcondes’ appointment reflects AB InBev’s long-standing reputation for creative leadership. Under his stewardship, the company has achieved a historic milestone as the only organisation to be named Creative Marketer of the Year twice in Cannes Lions history, underscoring its commitment to creativity as a core business strategy rather than a short-term tactic.
The Creative Brand Lion will honour organisations that have built sustainable frameworks for creative excellence, turning innovation into long-term growth, strong brand equity and lasting commercial value.
Beyond the introduction of the new category, the 2026 Jury President line-up also signals a broader shift within the global creative industry. For the first time, leaders from independent agencies including Artplan, Rethink, M+C Saatchi and Mother have been appointed as Jury Presidents, highlighting the growing influence and impact of independent networks on the global creative landscape.
Commenting on the announcement, Simon Cook, Chief Executive Officer of LIONS, said the 2026 line-up reflects the changing nature and expanding scope of creativity worldwide. According to him, the selected Jury Presidents represent a blend of global perspective, proven creative leadership and a deep understanding of work that pushes boundaries.
“Our Jury Presidents are selected for their ability to recognise work that truly raises the bar,” Cook said. “The 2026 line-up spans brand building, transformation, culture and commerce, and I am confident they will collectively set a powerful new standard for the year ahead.”
The full list of Jury Presidents for Cannes Lions 2026 covers a wide range of disciplines and creative specialisations. They include Oriel Davis-Lyons, Chief Creative Officer at Mother New York, USA, for Audio & Radio; Rafael Pitanguy, Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer at VML, for Brand Experience & Activation; and Ty Heath, Global Director of Thought Leadership and GTM Strategy at LinkedIn, for Creative B2B.
Other appointments include Gugu Mthembu, Chief Marketing Officer at Telkom, South Africa, for Creative Business Transformation; Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer at Flywheel, for Creative Commerce; and Anupriya Acharya, Chief Executive Officer of Publicis Groupe, South Asia, for Creative Data.
Creative Effectiveness will be led by Bertille Toledano, CEO of BETC and Havas Creative Middle East and President of the Havas Creative Network, while Creative Strategy will be overseen by Sarah Lemarié, Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis, France. Greg Quinton, Chief Creative Officer at Design Bridge and Partners, will preside over Design, and Andrés Ordóñez, Global Chief Creative Officer at McCann, will chair Digital Craft.
Further Jury Presidents include Joaquín Cubría of GUT, Argentina, for Direct; Chris Beresford-Hill of BBDO Worldwide for Entertainment; Lolly Thomson of M+C Saatchi Group for Entertainment Lions for Gaming; and Matt Murphy of 72andSunny for Entertainment Lions for Music.
Other categories include Industry Craft, led by Rafael Gil of Artplan, Brazil; Innovation, chaired by Kazuhiro Shimura of Dentsu Inc., Japan; Media, with Sindhuja Rai of WPP Media, APMEA; Outdoor, chaired by Aaron Starkman of Rethink; and PR, led by Dana Tahir, CEO of HAVAS Red, Middle East and Egypt.
Print & Publishing will be overseen by Jessica Apellaniz, Chief Creative Officer at Wieden+Kennedy, Mexico, while Mihnea Gheorghiu of LePub will chair Social & Creator. The Sustainable Development Goals category will be led by Kazoo Sato, Chief Creative Officer and CEO of Earth Centric Design, Japan, and the prestigious Dan Wieden Titanium Lions will be judged under the leadership of Chaka Sobhani, Global Chief Creative Officer at TBWA\Worldwide.
Cannes Lions has confirmed that submissions for the 2026 Awards remain open until April 9, 2026. Additional details, including Entry Kits and the LIONS Integrity Handbook, are available on the festival’s official website.