In June, Cannes Lions will once again gather people who not only judge creativity, but also produce it, test it and push it into the unknown on a daily basis. This year’s jury presidents come from different disciplines, markets and business models, yet they share the same role: to set the standards of what is considered top-tier creative excellence today, and what is yet to come.
The 2026 line-up places particular emphasis on the role of independent agencies in pushing creative boundaries. For the first time in the history of Cannes Lions, jury presidents come from the agencies Artplan, Rethink, M+C Saatchi and Mother, a clear signal that influence and relevance are no longer measured exclusively by network size, but by the courage of ideas, clarity of perspective and the ability to understand culture from within.
At the same time, the festival is introducing the Creative Brand Lion, a new category that shifts the focus from individual campaigns to systems, cultures and capabilities that make outstanding creativity inevitable. Marcel Marcondes, Global CMO of AB InBev, has been appointed as its inaugural jury president, a move that clearly links creativity with long-term brand architecture and business outcomes.
Below is the complete overview of the jury presidents for Cannes Lions 2026, the names that will decide in June what excellence, relevance and impact mean today.
Jury Presidents of Cannes Lions 2026:
- Outdoor: Aaron Starkman, Global Chief Creative Officer, Rethink
- Digital Craft: Andrés Ordóñez, Global Chief Creative Officer, McCann
- Creative Data: Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia
- Creative Effectiveness: Bertille Toledano, CEO, BETC & President, Havas Creative Network
- Titanium: Chaka Sobhani, Global Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Worldwide
- Entertainment: Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide
- PR: Dana Tahir, CEO, HAVAS Red
- Design: Greg Quinton, Chief Creative Officer, Design Bridge and Partners
- Creative Business Transformation: Gugu Mthembu, Chief Marketing Officer, Telkom
- Print & Publishing: Jessica Apellaniz, Chief Creative Officer, Wieden+Kennedy
- Direct: Joaquín Cubría, Chief Creative Officer, GUT
- Health & Wellness: Kainaz Karmakar, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy
- Sustainable Development Goals: Kazoo Sato, Chief Creative Officer & CEO, Earth Centric Design
- Innovation: Kazuhiro Shimura, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc.
- Entertainment Lions for Gaming: Lolly Thomson, Joint Global Chief Creative Officer, M+C Saatchi Group
- Creative Brand: Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev
- Entertainment Lions for Music: Matt Murphy, Global Chief Creative Officer, 72andSunny
- Social & Creator: Mihnea Gheorghiu, Global Chief Creative Officer, lePub
- Glass: The Lion for Change: Monique Nelson, Executive Chair, UWG
- Audio & Radio: Oriel Davis-Lyons, Chief Creative Officer, Mother New York
- Film: Pelle Sjoenell, Former Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Droga5 (Accenture Song)
- Creative Commerce: Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer, Flywheel
- Industry Craft: Rafael Gil, Chief Creative Officer, Artplan
- Brand Experience & Activation: Rafael Pitanguy, Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML
- Creative Strategy: Sarah Lemarié, Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis France
- Media: Sindhuja Rai, Chief Client Officer, WPP Media
- Creative B2B: Ty Heath, Global Director, Thought Leadership & GTM Strategy, LinkedIn
More information about each jury president can be found on the official Cannes Lions website.
