The release of the first shortlists for Cannes Lions 2026 has also provided the first indications of the work that made the strongest impression on this year’s juries. The first wave included shortlists for three categories: Dan Wieden Titanium Lions, Glass: The Lion for Change and Innovation Lions.
Although these categories recognise different forms of creative excellence, ranging from social impact to technological innovation, several names managed to stand out from the very first announcements.
The highest number of different shortlist appearances among the categories revealed so far was achieved by Peruvian agency Circus Grey. Their project SOS POS for BCP made it into the running for Titanium Lions, as well as two Innovation Lions subcategories (Brand-Led Innovation and Societal Innovation), making it one of the most visible pieces of work in the first round.
McCann also stood out with three shortlist appearances. McCann Spain entered both Glass subcategories with Chapters of Hope for La Fabrica, while McCann London was shortlisted in Titanium Lions thanks to The Missing Managers for Xbox. An additional shortlist for the network came from McCann Wellington with Dying Reviews for Hospice NZ.
LePub has also had a strong start. The agency entered Titanium Lions with Tocayos for Heineken and Welcome Back, Paisano for Tecate, with the latter also shortlisted within Glass: The Lion for Change.
Multiple nominations were also secured by agencies from the TBWA network. TBWA\Media Arts Lab appears in both Glass subcategories with No Frame Missed for Apple, while TBWA\Canada was shortlisted in both Glass and Innovation with Supernova Adaptive for Adidas.
Among the projects that appeared across multiple categories are Vehicle of Hope for Caritas (Differ and Colony), The Faroe Islands Space Program for SKF (Nord DDB) and Recipe for Change for Puck (FP7 McCann Dubai), confirming that ideas which simultaneously address social challenges, deliver innovation and achieve tangible impact have emerged among the most notable works in this first round of judging.
The next shortlist announcements will be published between 20 and 24 June. Below, you can find all shortlisted projects across the three categories.
Dan Wieden Titanium Lions
The Titanium Lions category recognises work that pushes the boundaries of the creative industry and offers new ways of thinking, often beyond the established frameworks of disciplines and formats. This year, 18 works were shortlisted from a total of 137 entries.
- Haven – Suncorp Insurance / Leo Sydney
- The Legacy of Virginia Giuffre – Virginia Giuffre / Dini Von Mueffling Communications
- Birds Never Forget to Fly – PSP / Playmakers
- The Philipstown Wirecar Grand Prix – The Philipstown Wirecar Foundation / Accenture Song SA
- SOS POS – BCP / Circus Grey
- IKEA Preowned – IKEA / McCann Spain
- The Missing Managers – Xbox / McCann London
- Duobell – Škoda / AMV BBDO
- Welcome Back, Paisano – Tecate / LePub Mexico City
- The Undropped Kit – ASICS / GUT Toronto and Ketchum London
- Oreo Cows – Oreo / VML New York and VML Mexico City
- Vehicle of Hope – Caritas / Differ and Colony
- The Faroe Islands Space Program – SKF / Nord DDB
- Vaseline Originals – Vaseline / Ogilvy Singapore
- Tocayos – Heineken / LePub Milan
- Expedition Impossible – Columbia Sportswear / adam&eveDDB
- Reverse Media Schedule – Sea Cleaners & JCDecaux / Dentsu Creative Aotearoa
- 600K Network – Comando Con Venezuela / Rainbow Lobster Mexico City and Comando Con Venezuela
Glass: The Lion for Change
Glass celebrates creative work that contributes to reducing prejudice, empowering marginalised communities and creating measurable social change. During judging, the largest share of the score, as much as 50%, is based on impact and achieved results.
Product/Service
- Recipe for Change – Puck / FP7 McCann Dubai
- Nigrum Corpus – IDOMED & Instituto Yduqs / Artplan
- Chapters of Hope – La Fabrica / McCann Spain
- Supernova Adaptive – Adidas / TBWA\Canada
- No Frame Missed – Apple / TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Initiatives
- Birds Never Forget to Fly – PSP / Playmakers
- Move #FixThePhilippines – Move As One Coalition / TBWA\SMP
- Recipe for Change – Puck / FP7 McCann Dubai
- Code for the Protection and Inclusion of Black Consumers – L’Oréal Luxe / Beta Collective
- 50 / 50 – Orange / Publicis Conseil
- Dying Reviews – Hospice NZ / McCann Wellington
- Welcome Back, Paisano – Tecate / LePub Mexico City
- Vehicle of Hope – Caritas / Differ and Colony
- The Māori Roll Call – Whānau Ora / Motion Sickness
- Chapters of Hope – La Fabrica / McCann Spain
- The Unburied Casket – Women for Change / Edelman SA
- No Frame Missed – Apple / TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Innovation Lions
The Innovation Lions category celebrates technological breakthroughs, innovative products and creative solutions that combine imagination, functionality and tangible impact.
Early-Stage Technology
- Hope on a Chip – UTEC / UTEC Lima
- The Unbreakable Twin – Deloitte / BBDO New York
- SPARC – Commonwealth Fusion Systems / Commonwealth Fusion Systems
- Radio Time Machine – Nichiigakkan Co., Ltd. / TBWA\Hakuhodo
Brand-Led Innovation
- SOS POS – BCP / Circus Grey
- Magnif-Eye – 1001 Optometry / VML Sydney
Product Innovation
- Hero Gum – Gift of Life / LOLA USA and adam&eveDDB
- LEGO Smart Play – The LEGO Group / LEGO System
Environmental Innovation
- T-Rex Leather – Lab-Grown Leather / VML Paris
- Dark Mode Ads – Plenitude / LePub Milan
- The Faroe Islands Space Program – SKF / Nord DDB
- Utrecht Energized – Renault / Publicis Amsterdam
Societal Innovation
- Hero Gum – Gift of Life / LOLA USA and adam&eveDDB
- SOS POS – BCP / Circus Grey
- Supernova Adaptive – Adidas / TBWA\Canada
- Waves of Will Powered by NTT – NTT Human Informatics Laboratories / Dentsu Inc.
Technology
- LEGO Smart Play – The LEGO Group / LEGO System
- Magnif-Eye – 1001 Optometry / VML Sydney
If the first wave of shortlists is any indication, this year’s Cannes Lions is favouring work that refuses to remain confined within a single discipline. Technology without social relevance is no longer enough, just as activism without concrete results is insufficient. The ideas attracting the most attention are those capable of being innovative, culturally relevant and commercially effective at the same time.
