Cannes Lions has announced new integrity standards and measures for its Awards. Following a thorough review, an evolved framework will be introduced to provide a renewed model of accountability, rigour, and trust for creative excellence.
“The industry landscape is changing at lightning speed,” said Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS. “And, in common with the rest of the industry, Cannes Lions is adapting at pace to meet this.”
During Cannes Lions 2025, collective concerns around manipulation, synthetic media and the use of AI, resulted in the necessary withdrawal of Lion-winning work. To ensure the continued integrity of all entries into the Festival, Cannes Lions has announced a comprehensive new framework. From 2026 onwards, all entry submissions into the International Festival of Creativity will be subject to new accountability measures and integrity standards, designed not only to safeguard the integrity of the benchmark, but to reaffirm the cultural and commercial value of creativity that is real, representative, and responsible.
For over 70 years, Cannes Lions has demonstrated the power that creativity has to drive progress, and the evidence that creativity drives effectiveness and business outcomes is extremely well documented. At Cannes Lions this year, yet more independent analysis proved the link between creativity and business growth. Interbrand presented an independent analysis of the top 50 Lion-winning brands, revealing that creative excellence directly translates into business performance: a 2.7% increase in profitability and 4.7% growth in market capitalisation in the year following a Lion win, outperforming market averages.
Cook continued: “At the heart of the Lions is creativity that drives growth. These renewed standards reflect our responsibility to both provide a platform for, and protect the value of creativity, and reinforce that creative excellence should be synonymous with creative integrity.”
