Big news for the advertising industry! The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has officially revealed its 2026 Jury President line-up. This exceptional group of global leaders will come together to define the standards of creative excellence that will drive the industry forward in the year ahead.
A major highlight is the appointment of Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer of AB InBev, as the inaugural Jury President for the Creative Brand Lion. This new category recognizes visionary brands that build the systems, cultures, and capabilities necessary to create world-class creative marketing that is both consistent and sustainable.
The 2026 Jury Presidents across various categories reflect the expanding horizons of creativity today, encompassing brand building, business transformation, cultural influence, and commerce. The line-up includes:
- Audio & Radio: Oriel Davis-Lyons (Mother New York)
- Brand Experience & Activation: Rafael Pitanguy (VML)
- Creative B2B: Ty Heath (LinkedIn)
- Creative Brand: Marcel Marcondes (AB InBev)
- Creative Business Transformation: Gugu Mthembu (Telkom, South Africa)
- Creative Commerce: Phil Camarota (Flywheel)
- Creative Data: Anupriya Acharya (Publicis Groupe, South Asia)
- Creative Effectiveness: Bertille Toledano (BETC / Havas Creative)
- Creative Strategy: Sarah Lemarié (Publicis, France)
- Design: Greg Quinton (Design Bridge and Partners)
- Digital Craft: Andrés Ordóñez (McCann)
- Direct: Joaquín Cubría (GUT, Argentina)
- Entertainment: Chris Beresford-Hill (BBDO Worldwide)
- Entertainment Lions for Gaming: Lolly Thomson (M+C Saatchi Group)
- Entertainment Lions for Music: Matt Murphy (72andSunny)
- Film: Pelle Sjoenell (Droga5 / Accenture Song)
- Glass: The Lion for Change: Monique Nelson (UWG, USA)
- Health & Wellness: Kainaz Karmakar (Ogilvy, India)
- Industry Craft: Rafael Gil (Artplan, Brazil)
- Innovation: Kazuhiro Shimura (Dentsu Inc., Japan)
- Media: Sindhuja Rai (WPP Media, APMEA)
- Outdoor: Aaron Starkman (Rethink)
- PR: Dana Tahir (HAVAS Red, Middle East & Egypt)
- Print & Publishing: Jessica Apellaniz (Wieden+Kennedy, Mexico)
- Social & Creator: Mihnea Gheorghiu (LePub)
- Sustainable Development Goals: Kazoo Sato (Earth Centric Design, Japan)
- Dan Wieden Titanium: Chaka Sobhani (TBWA\Worldwide)
Cannes Lions 2026 will take place from 22-26 June 2026 in Cannes, France. For those in the creative community, you can check pass options or submit your award entries from now until 9 April 2026.
For more details, visit: www.canneslions.com
