Cannes Lions 2026 Names PR Jury President and Global Line-Up of Creative Leaders

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity — the world’s foremost celebration of creative communications and advertising — has unveiled its prestigious lineup of jury presidents for the 2026 awards season, spotlighting global leaders whose strategic insights and creative excellence will guide the evaluation of entries across diverse competition categories. The festival is set to take place from 22–26 June 2026 in Cannes, France, and draws senior talent from agencies, brands, and creative platforms worldwide.

Among the most notable appointments is Dana Tahir, chief executive of Havas Red in the Middle East and Egypt, who has been named President of the PR Lions Jury for the 2026 festival. Tahir’s appointment underscores her prominence in global communications; her career spans roles in leading agencies and she’s been recognized as one of the region’s most influential public relations professionals. In steering the PR Lions jury, Tahir will be responsible for leading deliberations on work that showcases excellence in PR strategy, storytelling, reputation building, and cultural relevance — areas that remain central to modern brand communications.

The PR Lions jury president role is a high-profile recognition within the industry, given the festival’s role in spotlighting cutting-edge creative work. Cannes Lions does not merely reward advertising creativity; it also honours work that pushes boundaries in media strategy, earned influence, and integrated communications — all core to effective public relations today. With Tahir taking on this leadership position, the PR category jury will be tasked with assessing how entrants’ campaigns demonstrate strategic media engagement, audience understanding, and measurable impact.

A Broader Line-Up of Jury Presidents Reflecting Global Creative Leadership

The 2026 Cannes Lions jury president roster reflects a rich cross-section of global creative leadership and expertise. Beyond the PR Lions, the festival announced presidents for numerous other award categories, highlighting the expansive reach of contemporary creativity. Notably:

• Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer at AB InBev, was appointed the inaugural jury president for the newly introduced Creative Brand Lion. This category focuses on recognising brands that have successfully embedded creativity into their organisational culture and operating systems, translating standout creative thinking into sustained commercial impact.

• Anupriya Acharya, Chief Executive Officer of Publicis Groupe South Asia, will lead the Creative Data Lions jury. Acharya’s appointment is historic, as she becomes the first Indian leader to preside over this category, which celebrates work that combines data intelligence with creative innovation to produce measurable, culturally resonant campaigns.

• Sindhuja Rai, Chief Client Officer for WPP Media across the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA), is named president of the Media Lions jury — a central discipline that assesses media strategy, planning, and execution in driving brand goals. Rai’s extensive experience in media strategy and investment positions her to guide deliberations across complex, large-scale entries.
  

Other jury presidents include creative leaders across disciplines, such as Audio & Radio, Brand Experience & Activation, Creative B2B, Creative Strategy, and Entertainment — each bringing a distinct perspective shaped by work at major agencies and global brands. With jury presidents drawn from companies like Mother New York, VML, LinkedIn, Flywheel, BETC, McCann, and M+C Saatchi, the Cannes Lions awards platform once again convenes a diverse and experienced cohort of creative arbiters.

What This Means for Cannes Lions 2026

The selection of jury presidents for Cannes Lions 2026 underscores a broad industry shift toward recognising creativity not only in artistic expression but within strategy, data integration, brand transformation, and cultural impact. Bringing together veteran practitioners and leaders from across continents, the line-up reflects how creativity now intersects with technology, media evolution, and audience engagement at scale.

For public relations professionals, Dana Tahir’s leadership role in the PR Lions jury signals the importance of PR as a strategic force within the communications ecosystem. PR work that demonstrates earned visibility, narrative innovation, and business results will be in focus, aligning with how organisations increasingly measure communications success.

The festival also continues its tradition of adaptation and expansion. The introduction of new categories like the Creative Brand Lion — and recognition of data-driven creativity through awards like Creative Data — highlights Cannes Lions’ acknowledgement of evolving industry dynamics, where creativity is not siloed but permeates multiple facets of marketing and communications.

Global Representation and Industry Significance

The 2026 jury president slate represents creative leadership spanning multiple regions, disciplines, and organisational types. With leaders like Acharya and Rai, the festival amplifies voices from Asia and the broader global south, reflecting a more inclusive view of creative excellence in a traditionally Western-centred awards landscape. This geographical diversity is echoed by jury presidents from Africa, Latin America, Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region — demonstrating Cannes Lions’ commitment to celebrating global creativity.

As Cannes Lions 2026 approaches, industry professionals and agencies alike will be watching not only which campaigns take home Lions, but how juries under these presidents define excellence across categories. With creativity continuing to evolve in response to cultural shifts, technological innovation, and data-led insights, the 2026 festival promises to set new benchmarks for impactful and influential creative work.