Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced the winners of the 2026 Young Lions Competitions, following seven competitions held across four days.
The competitions, sponsored by Adobe, are designed to challenge young creatives and communications professionals aged 30 and under, bringing together talent from across the industry and from around the world. This year, more than 400 young professionals took part, showcasing their talent and achievements on the global stage.
Competitors responded to briefs set by NGOs, charities or companies dedicated to a good cause, working under tight time pressure to create a campaign. All entries were judged by members of the Cannes Lions juries during the Festival.
This year’s edition also marked the Young Lions Competition debut of Bolivia and Morocco. Hong Kong SAR took home its first wins in the PR and Media categories, while Norway won its first Gold in the PR competition.
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said the Young Lions Competitions celebrate incredible talent and the next generation of creative leaders who make progress possible. He congratulated every 2026 winner and all the teams that rose to the challenge, adding that LIONS is looking forward to the 2027 competitions.
Winners by category:
Design
The Young Lions Design competition focuses on creating effective, refined and attractive brand identity. This year’s brief was set by Re:wild, a global conservation organisation founded alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, working across more than 90 countries. Re:wild challenged the Young Lions teams to design a flexible visual identity and shareable festival installation that makes nature the headline act.
Gold
“Re:hold the Earth”
Juan Manuel Linares, Art Director, DAVID, Colombia
Alejandro Orjuela, Copywriter, Isla, Colombia
Silver
“Stand by the Wild”
Alexandre de Sousa, Lead Designer, Bastarda, Portugal
Bárbara Estefânia Fantone, Copywriter, Bastarda, Portugal
Bronze
“Re:Turn to the Wild”
Minwoo Song, Design Team Lead, STUDIOK110, South Korea
Sumin Kim, Creative Director, STUDIOK110, South Korea
Digital
The Young Lions Digital competition focuses on building a social-first digital campaign rooted in platform behaviour and cultural participation. This year, Comic Relief challenged teams to reimagine the Red Nose as a symbol of modern activism for Gen Z, transforming what the Red Nose stands for in a world where young people believe change comes from communities, not institutions.
Gold
“Amaz-on Red Nose”
Moyan Tang, Strategist, Havas Creative China, Mainland China
Yue Yin, Senior Strategist, Havas Creative China, Mainland China
Silver
“Poke Your Nose Where It Matters”
Muhammad Osama Kalam, Associate Creative Director, Digitz Group, Pakistan
Tipu Sultan Ajmad Dawood, Associate Creative Director, Digitz Group, Pakistan
Bronze
“The Clowns Count”
Jule Gerlach, Art Director, Jung von Matt, Germany
Finn Mangels, Concept Creative, Jung von Matt, Germany
Film
The Young Lions Film competition challenges teams to create an engaging 60-second film ad in 48 hours. This year, Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation asked competitors to craft a powerful film that ignites behavioural change around water safety by reshaping how people perceive drowning.
Gold
“A Life in the Picture”
Giorgi Abuladze, Copywriter, SUPERMARKET, Georgia
Luka Mosiashvili, Designer, SUPERMARKET, Georgia
Silver
“Signs of drowning”
Ingrid Gulaker Skoglund, Copywriter, WAL, Norway
Tage Hogness, Art Director, WAL, Norway
Bronze
“The Water Watcher”
Máté Tóth, Senior Content Creative, Artificial Group, Hungary
Enikő Lénárd, Junior Art Director, feat., Hungary
Media
The Young Lions Media competition challenges teams to create a globally scalable media idea. This year, ABC Global Alliance asked competitors to craft a campaign that makes the undercounting of advanced breast cancer impossible to ignore. Designed for earned media first, with paid media used only to accelerate reach, the media idea was expected not simply to explain the problem, but to make the consequences of missing data tangible.
Gold
“The note : I’m Here”
Bonkyung Koo, Art Director, Cheil Worldwide, South Korea
Yerin Jang, Art Director, Cheil Worldwide, South Korea
Silver
“COUNT US BOTH”
Choy Ching Yung, Associate Digital Performance Manager, Carat Media, Hong Kong SAR
Chi Hiu Huen, Planning Manager, Carat Media, Hong Kong SAR
Bronze
“HandsUp4Uncounted”
Erina Yokota, Art Director, TBWA\HAKUHODO, Japan
Riko Uesugi, Copywriter, Uesugi, Japan
Marketers
The Young Lions Marketers competition challenges teams to create a brand partnership campaign that drives measurable impact. This year, Re:wild, a global conservation organisation founded alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and working across more than 90 countries, asked competitors to create a brand partnership campaign that reconnects people to the wild and transforms passive concern into measurable support for the charity.
Gold
“The wildest bookmate”
Helena Navarro Valero, Marketing Product Manager, Penguin Random House, Spain
Marta Benedito Bernat, Trade Marketing & Global Planning, Penguin Random House, Spain
Silver
“Google Maps: Earth Mode”
Lydia Yoon, Product Marketing Manager, Google, Canada
Joanne Chen, Product Marketing Manager, Google, Canada
Bronze
“Back-up the Wild”
Rudrani Bose, Brand Manager, ITC Ltd., India
Payal Mehra, Brand Manager, ITC Ltd., India
PR
The Young Lions PR competition challenges teams to shift public perception through a powerful communications idea. This year, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs asked competitors to reframe space from a distant frontier to shared infrastructure that people depend on daily, making its governance feel visible, relevant and worth caring about.
Gold
“The Official Flag of Space”
Sebastian Pandonis, Creative, NoA Anorak, Norway
Jens Østrem, Creative, NoA Anorak, Norway
Silver
“A safe space for your safe space”
Chiara Huber, Concept Creative, Jung von Matt, Germany
Simon Waldner, Concept Creative, Jung von Matt, Germany
Bronze
“The UN-billed Space”
Wing Man Ma, Executive, Brand, Edelman, Hong Kong SAR
Ka Wing Kavieng Cheng, Art Director, Edelman, Hong Kong SAR
The Young Lions Print competition challenges young creatives to produce a stand-out, captivating and unique print ad. This year’s brief was provided by Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, which challenged competitors to reframe water safety by transforming how people recognise danger around water.
Gold
“A Guide to the Signs”
Hannah Murphy, Art Director, TBWA\Ireland, Ireland
Kate Dempsey, Copywriter, TBWA\Ireland, Ireland
Silver
“Where you look matters”
Max Knutssøn, Creative, Revolt London, Denmark
Nikolaj Leongard, Art Director, VML Copenhagen, Denmark
Bronze
“Inflatables”
Gavriela Mousouraki, Art Director, The Newtons Laboratory, Greece
Paraskevi Kardatou, Copywriter, Ogilvy Greece, Greece
This year’s winners once again show why the Young Lions Competitions remain an important platform for discovering new creative voices in the industry. Created under limited time and in response to briefs focused on socially relevant issues, the awarded works confirm that the next generation of creatives is not only thinking about ideas that capture attention, but also about communications that can help drive real change.
