Cannes Lions reveals 2026 shortlisting jury

Cannes Lions has announced the Shortlisting Jury for the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which will take place from 22 to 26 June 2026. The Jury will review and shortlist global creative work that will progress to final judging and awards at the Festival.

This year’s line-up features a significant increase in participation from independent agencies and emerging markets, alongside senior talent from established creative agencies and global brands.

Expanded global representation on jury

The 2026 Jury includes increased representation from the Pacific region and Africa, with first-time jurors from Ethiopia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Independent agencies are also more prominently represented, with more than 40 making their Cannes Lions Jury debut this year.

Sri Lanka will also be represented for the first time through independent agency HumanSense, marking a milestone for the country in the Festival’s judging process.

Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS: “The Shortlisting Jury play a crucial role in the Awards. Their work in recognising groundbreaking creativity establishes the standard of excellence celebrated at the Festival. This year’s line-up brings together an exceptional cohort of talent from across a breadth of specialisms and markets. Their unique expertise will ensure the shortlist champions the innovative work driving the industry forward. Thank you to our Jurors for dedicating their time to curating the body of work that will set the global creative benchmark for the year ahead.”

Broad discipline coverage across creative sectors

The Jury spans multiple categories including Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Strategy, Design, Direct, Entertainment, Film, Film Craft, Health & Wellness, Media, Outdoor, PR, and Social & Creator.

Participants include senior leaders from global brands such as IKEA, Verizon and PepsiCo, alongside executives from agencies including Ogilvy, Dentsu, Publicis Groupe, VML and McCann, as well as independent creative studios across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The expanded structure reflects the increasing convergence of creative disciplines, with jurors drawn from brand strategy, digital innovation, design, media, production and entertainment.

Independent agencies gain greater influence

A notable feature of this year’s jury is the increased participation of independent agencies, reflecting their growing influence in global creative output. The inclusion of diverse regional talent also highlights Cannes Lions’ continued effort to broaden representation across markets and agency types.

Global benchmarking of creative work

The Shortlisting Jury will evaluate submissions ahead of the Festival, helping define the shortlist of work that sets the benchmark for global creative excellence in 2026.

The Cannes Lions Festival remains one of the industry’s most prominent events, bringing together agencies, brands and creative professionals to celebrate and assess innovation in advertising and communications.

The full list can be accessed here

www.canneslions.com

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