The Cannes Lions 2026 shortlisting jury is officially set. Cannes Lions announced the full lineup on May 7. The 73rd Festival of Creativity runs June 22 to 26 in Cannes, France. This year’s jury brings together experts from across the full spectrum of creative disciplines. It also breaks new ground in global representation.
For the first time, jurors from Ethiopia, Namibia and Zimbabwe join the lineup. That expansion reflects a deliberate push to bring African and Pacific voices more fully into the process. Furthermore, more than 40 independent agencies make their jury debut this year. Among those firsts, HumanSense marks Sri Lanka’s first-ever Cannes Lions juror. Its founder and Chief Creative Officer, Ruchi Sharma, joins the Film jury.
Why the shortlisting jury matters
The shortlisting jury plays a foundational role in the awards process. Its members evaluate submissions and identify the work that advances to the judging, awarding and celebration stages during the Festival. In effect, they set the creative standard that the rest of the week measures against. That responsibility makes the jury’s composition a significant editorial decision in its own right.
Brand Experience, Creative Strategy and Design juries
The Brand Experience and Activation jury includes Alkisti Stolp, CEO of McCann Germany. It also features Ricardo Aspiazu, SVP of Creative and Brand Design at Verizon in the U.S., and Shu Hung, Global Chief Creative Officer at AKQA. Additionally, Josephine Muvumba, Managing Director of MetropolitanRepublic in Uganda, joins that category.
The Creative Strategy jury features Aki Spicer, formerly Chief Strategy Officer at Cashmere and Monks in the U.S. Taciana Lopes, SVP of Marketing and Communications at Mastercard Brazil, and Rowena Bhagchandani, CEO and Co-Founder of BLKJ Havas in Singapore, also serve on this panel.
The Design jury includes Emma Barratt, Global Executive Creative Director at Wolff Olins. Bronwen Rautenbach, Co-Founder of Sunshinegun in Africa, and Anselmo Tumpić, Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director of Studio Tumpić/Prenc in Croatia, round out a geographically diverse panel.
Direct, Entertainment and Film juries
The Direct jury features Kelsey Hodgkin, CEO and Partner of Special US. Tawanda Mahobele, Creative Lead at TBWA Zimbabwe, also joins. So does Third Domingo, Founder and Chairman of IdeasXMachina Hakuhodo across the Philippines and APAC.
The Entertainment jury includes Jason Harvey, Executive VP and General Manager of BET+ in the U.S. Justin Gomes, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Bananas in South Africa, and Amy Mowafi, Co-Founder and CEO of MO4 Network in Egypt, complete a strong international panel.
The Film jury features Imani Ellis, CEO and Founder of CultureCon in the U.S. Jenny Glover, Chief Creative Officer at Zulu Alpha Kilo in Canada, and Toby Allen, Chief Creative Officer at Anomaly London, also serve in this category.
Film Craft, Health and Wellness, and Media juries
The Film Craft jury includes Oshoveli Shipoh, Executive Creative Director of StreetLeader Creative in Namibia. Zelalem Woldemariam, CEO and Chief Creative Director of Zeleman Communications in Ethiopia, marks one of the jury’s historic firsts. Iwona Mnich, Executive Producer at Papaya Films globally, also joins this panel.
The Health and Wellness jury features Lina Polimeni, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer — Consumer at Eli Lilly in the U.S. Katie McMorran, Group Managing Director at Saatchi and Saatchi Health globally, and Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah, THE CROWN Act Champion and CEO of ABA Consulting in the U.S., also serve.
The Media jury includes LaToya Christian, Founder and Strategic Advisor at Brazen in the U.S. Preeti Nadgar, Chief Strategy Officer at Starcom U.S., and Rafet Fatih Özgür, SVP Brand and Promotion at Turkish Airlines, additionally round out the panel.
Outdoor, PR and Social and Creator juries
The Outdoor jury features Danger Bea, Executive VP and Executive Creative Director at West BBDO in the U.S. Galaletsang Kgoathe, Creative Partner at Ogilvy South Africa, and Tejali Shete, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Roll Dot Agency globally, also join.
The PR jury includes Nozipho Tshabalala, CEO of The Conversation Strategists globally. Deirdre Murphy, Global Client Partner at Ketchum, and Omawumi Ogbe, Founder and Managing Partner of GLG Communications in Nigeria, also serve on this panel.
The Social and Creator jury features Genevieve Gransden, Executive Creative Director at DAVID London. Sibu Mabena, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Duma Collective in South Africa, and Carla Leveratto, Head of Creative Works at Google Italy, additionally complete the category.
Festival dates and how to attend
The 73rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity takes place June 22 to 26, 2026, in Cannes, France. The full jury list and complete abstracts are available at canneslions.com. Pass options for the Festival can also be found there.
Source: Cannes Lions / LIONS press release
Leave a Reply