Golden Drum Festival has announced the first Jury Presidents for its 2026 edition, with entries officially opening on 10 March. The appointments highlight the festival’s continued focus on creative excellence, media innovation and culturally relevant ideas in a rapidly evolving communications landscape.
Xavier Blais, Partner and Executive Creative Director at Rethink, will chair the One-Channel Drum Jury. This competition section recognises individual works built around a single communication channel, where clarity of concept and execution plays a defining role.
“We need to keep striving for excellence if we want to keep doing what we love. Coming from Québec, I know that cultural distinctiveness is survival. So let that shine in your entry. With the jury, we’ll be looking for universal ideas that solve culturally relevant problems with audacious executions. ” he added in a statement.
Blais joined Rethink in 2015, helping establish the agency’s Montréal office before becoming one of its youngest partners. His portfolio includes campaigns for global brands such as Molson Coors, IKEA and Heinz. In 2024, Rethink was named Independent Agency of the Year and Indie Network of the Year at Cannes Lions, while Blais topped the Lions Talent Report. His projects have received major international awards, appeared widely in global media and have also been exhibited at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
The Creative Media Excellence jury will be led by Joanna Lawrence, Global Chief Strategy Officer at Havas Media Network. The section focuses on work that demonstrates exceptional media strategy, targeting and execution, reflecting the growing importance of media thinking as a driver of creative impact.
At Havas Media Network, Lawrence leads global transformation initiatives aimed at redefining media services for clients and talent, while also heading the organisation’s Global Media Creativity Council. Her career spans market research data analytics, media planning and communications strategy, with previous roles at Mindshare, Naked Communications and OMD EMEA, where she contributed to regional strategy development and the launch of the European content practice. Before joining Havas Media Network, she worked on business transformation at Telegraph Media Group and advised global clients on evolving media operating models at Flock Associates. She has also served on juries for major international awards including Cannes Lions, Effie’s Best of the Best and the CLIO Media Jury.
“It’s the perfect time to debate which brands are turning challenges into opportunities and finding new ways to cut through.” said Joanna Lawrence.
With entries opening in March, Golden Drum is set to continue positioning itself as a platform for creative excellence and industry dialogue, with further announcements about the 2026 edition expected in the coming weeks.
