Today marked the opening of the 73rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and the first winners of this year’s edition have been announced. Awards were presented in the Audio & Radio Lions, Creative Brand Lions, Creative B2B Lions, Health & Wellness Lions, Outdoor Lions, Pharma Lions and Print & Publishing Lions categories, while the first special awards were also handed out.
Commenting on this year’s winners, Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, highlighted that the awarded work demonstrates how creativity remains a driver of growth for companies, individuals and society, while setting global benchmarks for the industry.
In the Audio & Radio Lions category, which celebrates creativity built around sound, 513 entries were received. A total of 15 awards were presented: two Gold, five Silver and seven Bronze Lions, as well as the Grand Prix. The top honour went to the project Coquí Alarmed for Hyundai Puerto Rico, created by BBDO Puerto Rico. The campaign replaced the standard vehicle lock sound in partner rental cars with the call of the coquí frog, one of the most recognisable symbols of Puerto Rican culture.
This year’s festival also introduced the new Creative Brand Lions category, recognising brands that develop systems, processes and organisational cultures focused on long-term creative excellence. The category received 73 entries, and only two awards were presented: one Creative Brand Lion and the Grand Prix, which went to the project Creativity at Scale by AB InBev. The work demonstrates how creativity can be integrated into organisational culture and used as a structured business capability on a global scale.
The Creative B2B Lions category received 355 entries. A total of 11 awards were presented: two Gold, four Silver and four Bronze Lions, along with the Grand Prix. The winning work was The Faroe Islands Space Program for SKF, developed by NORD Stockholm. The project connected an industrial company with the global sustainability conversation and expanded the boundaries of traditional B2B communications. In this category, the region also had a representative. Studio Sonda was shortlisted with the project Label Created by the Wine Itself – Piquentum Brut Nature. The Health & Wellness Lions attracted 889 entries this year. A total of 31 Lions were awarded, including five Gold, ten Silver and fifteen Bronze awards. The Grand Prix went to the project The Periodic Fable for The Ordinary, created by SMUGGLER and Uncommon Creative Studio. The campaign addressed unregulated marketing claims in the beauty industry through a reinterpretation of the periodic table.
Within the health-related categories, the Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good was awarded to the project Vehicle of Hope for Caritas, created by Differ Stockholm.
The largest competition on the opening day was in the Outdoor Lions category, which received 1,410 entries. A total of 40 awards were presented: seven Gold, thirteen Silver and nineteen Bronze Lions. The Grand Prix went to the campaign Field Barcode for Mercado Livre, developed by GUT São Paulo. As part of the project, the pitch of Brazil’s Pacaembu Stadium was transformed into a 104-metre barcode that visitors could scan and use to interact with the platform in real time.
The Pharma Lions category received 236 entries. Seven awards were presented: one Gold, two Silver and three Bronze Lions, along with the Grand Prix. The top honour went to the project Relax Your Tight End for Novartis, created by Fallon Minneapolis. The campaign brought the topic of prostate screening into the format of a Super Bowl commercial.
The Print & Publishing Lions category received 418 entries. A total of 13 awards were presented, including two Gold, four Silver and six Bronze Lions, while the Grand Prix went to the campaign Look Familiar? for Heinz Ketchup, created by Rethink Toronto. The campaign was built around the recognisability of the brand itself, without the need to show the product.
The first special awards of the festival were also presented. The title of Healthcare Network of the Year went to Klick Health, ahead of Ogilvy Health and Real Chemistry. In the Healthcare Agency of the Year ranking, first place went to Klick Health Toronto, followed by Ogilvy Health New York and 21GRAMS New York.
During the festival’s opening day, the Entertainment Person of the Year 2026 award was also presented to Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Services and Health at Apple.
