Cannes Lions has announced its 2026 Jury President lineup, with several notable shifts in how the festival recognises creative leadership.
For the first time, independent agencies are prominently featured on the jury president roster. Artplan, Rethink, M+C Saatchi and Mother all have representatives leading juries – a departure from the traditional dominance of global network holding companies.
The festival has also introduced a new Creative Brand Lion category, with AB InBev’sGlobal CMO Marcel Marcondes appointed as its inaugural jury president. The award recognises brands building “systems, cultures and capabilities that make world-class creative marketing inevitable and repeatable” – effectively judging marketing operations alongside creative output.
Global CMO Marcel Marcondes, who is Creative Brand Lion, Jury President 2026.
AB InBev is the only brand to win Creative Marketer of the Year twice at Cannes Lions, giving Marcondes credibility in the role.
“Our Jury Presidents are selected for their proven creative leadership, global perspective and ability to recognise creative work that will raise the bar.” “The 2026 Jury President line-up reflects the full breadth of creativity today – spanning from brand building to transformation, to driving culture and influencing commerce.”
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS.
The lineup spans 28 categories, from traditional disciplines like Film and Print to newer categories like Creative Commerce and Entertainment for Gaming. Network agencies still dominate numerically, but the presence of independent agencies signals Cannes Lions’ recognition of creative leadership beyond the holding company structure.
Awards submissions close 9 April 2026. The festival runs from 22-26 June in Cannes.
2026 Cannes Lions Jury Presidents
2026 Cannes Lions Jury Presidents
Audio & Radio
Oriel Davis-Lyons, Chief Creative Officer, Mother New York
Brand Experience & Activation
Rafael Pitanguy, Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML
Creative B2B
Ty Heath, Global Director, Thought Leadership, GTM Strategy, LinkedIn
Creative Brand
Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev
Creative Business Transformation
Gugu Mthembu, Chief Marketing Officer, Telkom
Creative Commerce
Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer, Flywheel
Creative Data
Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia
Creative Effectiveness
Bertille Toledano, CEO BETC & Havas Creative Middle East; President Havas Creative Network, Havas
Creative Strategy
Sarah Lemarié, Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis France
Design
Greg Quinton, Chief Creative Officer, Design Bridge and Partners
Digital Craft
Andrés Ordóñez, Global Chief Creative Officer, McCann
Direct
Joaquín Cubría, Chief Creative Officer, GUT Argentina
Entertainment
Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide
Entertainment Lions for Gaming
Lolly Thomson, Joint Global Chief Creative Officer, M+C Saatchi Group
Entertainment Lions for Music
Matt Murphy, Global Chief Creative Officer, 72andSunny
Film
Pelle Sjoenell, Former Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Droga5 (Accenture Song)
Glass: The Lion for Change
Monique Nelson, Executive Chair, UWG
Health & Wellness
Kainaz Karmakar, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India
Industry Craft
Rafael Gil, Chief Creative Officer, Artplan
Innovation
Kazuhiro Shimura, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc.
Media
Sindhuja Rai, Chief Client Officer, WPP Media APMEA
Outdoor
Aaron Starkman, Global Chief Creative Officer, Rethink
Chaka Sobhani, Global Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Worldwide
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