India Secures Two Cannes Lions Jury Presidencies for First Time
India claims two Cannes Lions jury presidencies for the first time, with leaders from Publicis and Ogilvy heading Creative Data and Health & Wellness categories. Asia's creative influence reaches n...
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has appointed five Asian creative leaders as Jury Presidents for its 2026 edition, marking a significant milestone in the region's global creative influence. The appointments span India, Japan, and the APMEA region, with India securing two presidencies for the first time.
The festival, scheduled for June 22 to 26, 2026, announced the appointments as part of its broader Jury President lineup. Anupriya Acharya from Publicis Groupe South Asia will lead the Creative Data Lions jury, becoming India's first president in this category. Kainaz Karmakar of Ogilvy India takes charge of Health & Wellness Lions.
India Claims Two Leadership Positions
Acharya brings more than 30 years of experience in South Asian advertising to her Creative Data Lions role. Her appointment reflects India's growing leadership in data-driven creativity as the country's adtech market continues to expand.
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Karmakar has accumulated over 40 Cannes Lions wins throughout her career, including Asia's first Glass Lion for work addressing gender bias. Her Health & Wellness Lions presidency recognizes India's increasing influence in purpose-driven creative work.
Both appointments signal India's emergence as a creative powerhouse capable of leading global conversations around data innovation and social impact.
Japan Dominates Sustainability and Innovation Categories
Japan secured two presidencies focused on technology and sustainability. Kazuhiro Shimura from Dentsu will lead the Innovation Lions jury, while Kazoo Sato from Earth Centric Design oversees the Sustainable Development Goals Lions category.
Sato previously won a 2023 Cannes Lion for designing a voice-controlled public toilet during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating crisis-driven innovation. His appointment aligns with Japan's substantial government investment in green innovation initiatives.
Shimura's Innovation Lions role positions Japan at the forefront of evaluating breakthrough creative work that pushes technological boundaries.
APMEA Media Strategy Representation
Sindhuja Rai from WPP Media APMEA rounds out Asia's jury presidents as Media Lions president. Based in Singapore, Rai represents the region's media strategy expertise at a time when digital advertising spending continues to grow across Southeast Asian markets.
Her appointment reflects the increasing importance of mobile-first consumers in driving media innovation across the APMEA region.
Notably, no creative leaders based in Hong Kong secured jury presidencies this year, with representation centered on India, Japan, and the broader APMEA region.
New Creative Brand Lion Category Debuts
The 2026 festival introduces the Creative Brand Lion category, with Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer at AB InBev, serving as inaugural Jury President. AB InBev holds the distinction of being the only brand named Creative Marketer of the Year twice in festival history.
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said: "Our Jury Presidents are selected for their proven creative leadership, global perspective and ability to recognize creative work that will raise the bar."
The festival also highlighted growing influence from independent agencies, with four first-time Jury Presidents from independent shops globally, though none from Asia in 2026.
Awards submissions close on April 9, 2026, with winners announced during the June festival in Cannes, France.
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