The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced the winners of the 2026 Young Lions Competitions, recognising the world’s most promising creative talents aged 30 and under across seven disciplines.
Sponsored by Adobe, the annual competition brought together more than 400 young professionals from around the world, who were tasked with developing creative solutions for briefs set by charities, non-governmental organisations and purpose-driven companies. Depending on the category, teams had either 24 or 48 hours to deliver campaigns, which were judged by members of the Cannes Lions juries during the Festival.
This year’s edition also marked the debut of Bolivia and Morocco in the Young Lions Competitions, while Hong Kong SAR celebrated its first-ever wins in the PR and Media categories. Norway also secured its first Gold medal in the PR competition.
Speaking on the announcement, Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said the competition continues to spotlight the industry’s future leaders.
“The Young Lions Competitions celebrate the incredible talent and the next generation of creative leaders who make progress possible. Congratulations to every 2026 winner and to all the teams that rose to the challenge. We can’t wait to see what the 2027 competitions bring,” he said.
In the Design category, Colombia claimed Gold with “Re:hold the Earth”, while Mainland China took top honours in Digital with “Amaz-on Red Nose.” Georgia emerged victorious in Film with “A Life in the Picture,” and South Korea won the Media category with “The Note: I’m Here.”
Spain secured Gold in the Marketers competition through “The Wildest Bookmate,” while Norway earned its historic PR victory with “The Official Flag of Space.” Ireland rounded off the winners’ list by taking Gold in the Print competition with “A Guide to the Signs.”
The 2026 competition briefs addressed pressing global issues, including biodiversity conservation, advanced breast cancer awareness, water safety, youth activism, and space governance. Participants were challenged to create campaigns capable of driving awareness, changing behaviour and inspiring meaningful action.
The Young Lions Competitions remain one of the Festival’s flagship talent development programmes, providing emerging creatives with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills on an international stage while tackling some of the world’s most important social challenges.
