Cannes Lions 2026 Unveils Creative Brand Lion as Awards Evolve to Reflect New Industry Priorities

In 2026, there will be changes to the Cannes Lions Awards (Image source: © Bizcommunity)

Each year, Cannes Lions reviews the Awards to reflect the rapidly changing creative landscapes, while also paving the way forward for the industry.

2026 changes

1. Creative Brand Lion

   For over 70 years, the Awards have celebrated the campaigns that capture hearts and drive demand for brands worldwide. In 2026, it recognises what makes those breakthrough ideas possible in the first place.

   The Creative Brand Lion will celebrate how brands strategically use creativity across their organisation to drive sustained business success.

   Instead of judging individual campaigns, this Lion recognises the systems, cultures, and capabilities that deliver measurable business growth and long-term brand value.

   This Award sits in a new Brand Track and benchmarks how brands build the foundational architecture that makes continuous creative excellence inevitable.

   Entries will focus on longer-term capability-building initiatives that demonstrate business impact rather than campaign performance.

2. Redefining the Creative Data Lion

   Data’s role in creative marketing has fundamentally shifted. What once supported campaigns now acts as the catalyst.

   Today’s most effective work doesn’t just use data; it’s born from it. To recognise this evolution and reflect how data is reshaping creative opportunities, the Awards have redefined the Creative Data Lion.

   The updated categories will celebrate work where data fundamentally drives the creative concept, not just informs it.

   From privacy-first personalisation to breakthrough media innovation, entries must prove that data was essential to both the idea and its measurable business impact.

3. AI Craft subcategory

   The Awards have introduced a new AI Craft subcategory to celebrate the sweet spot where human creativity meets artificial intelligence to create something neither could achieve alone.

   This isn’t about the best use of AI as a tool; it’s about recognising the craft and artistry of work that couldn’t exist without it.

   Entries must demonstrate that the core concept, execution or impact wouldn’t have been possible through previous methods alone. This new subcategory will appear across the Design, Digital Craft, Film Craft, Industry Craft and Creative Data Lions.

4. Retail media

   Retail media continues its explosive momentum, set to be the fastest-growing medium in 2025. Last year, retail media subcategories were introduced in the Media and Creative Commerce Lions.

   Now this is being expanded across the Creative Strategy and Creative Data Lions, recognising that retail media excellence spans both strategic thinking in connecting brands with shoppers and innovative applications of first-party data for targeted advertising.

   This creates more opportunities to celebrate the breadth of innovation happening in this space.

5. Implementing enhanced integrity measures

   Following on from the Integrity Standards announced in July 2025, the Awards are introducing enhanced measures to ensure that the work that wins Lions demonstrates genuine impact.

   These include additional layers of declarations of factual accuracy, requesting sources at the point of entry, using AI for an initial feasibility study, introducing a new formal process for enquiry and producing the Lions Integrity Handbook, a practical guide for use across the industry.

   Explore the Integrity Standards.

Other changes

• The Design Lion is being updated with a new IP and branding subcategory to recognise intellectual property creation and comprehensive brand system development in contemporary design practice.
• The Health & Wellness Lion is being updated with a new Holistic Wellbeing & Mindful Living subcategory to celebrate a comprehensive wellness approach beyond traditional medical messaging.
• The Use of Humour is being added as a new medium in the Health Track for brands employing humour to destigmatise health conditions.

For more:

• Cannes Lions special section and search
• More info: Google News, Cannes Lions Twitter
• Official site: http://www.canneslions.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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