The International Festival of Creativity Cannes Lions will take place between the days June 16 and 20, 2025 in the French city of Cannes, and the organization has already announced some of the novelties of the contest. Among them, registration for the work can be done starting next January 16.
Social & Creator and brand platform subcategory
In addition, it has also announced that the Social & Influencers category will be renamed Social & Creator with the intention, as explained by the organization, of recognizing the increasingly important role of creators in the communication landscape. Along these lines, new subcategories have been added that focus on creators and the innovative work they produce for brands.
Cannes Lions has also communicated the creation a subcategory to celebrate long-term brand platforms. This will be included in multiple Lions and will recognize brand platforms that demonstrate sustained effectiveness in creating brand value, driving loyalty and measurable business results.
Glass: The Lion for Change expands the scope of recognized works
Changes in Glass
On the other hand, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Glass: The Lion for Changewhich has recognized works that have promoted more positive, progressive and gender-conscious communication, the scope of this award has been expanded. Thus, in addition to evaluating cases that promote equality, they will also consider those that promote diversity.
“We need to evolve to recognize the importance of intersectionality, from disability and race to sexuality and social inequality”; Marian Brannelly, Lions Global Director of Awards, said in a statement. “This Lion is a prize for change. Broadening the scope allows us to celebrate ideas that promote more equitable representation for a broader range of communities and also reflect the importance of incorporating authentic inclusion throughout the creative process.”.
Country pavilions
One of the notable novelties of the next edition of Cannes Lions will be the country pavilions, which are launched with the intention of promoting greater representation of the different markets at the festival. The organization considers that creativity is an economic lever and with this initiative it hopes that countries can enhance their creative economy by showing their capabilities.
“This global village will provide countries with the opportunity to showcase local creativity on the global stage, promote creative economies and serve as a hub for learning sessions, as well as benefit from networking between countries.“, they explain from Cannes Lions, adding that there will be “a dedicated content stage that will accompany the pavilions and showcase truly global content and perspectives”.
Promotion of representation
Additionally, the festival has announced that it will double funding to provide free passes worth 2 million euros to underrepresented talents and underserved communities through its Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, which it launched last year.
The organization points out that this initiative plays an important role in the phenomenon of a global talent representation within the industry. They assure that to date this type of funded opportunities have reached professionals from 46 countries. In addition, he has indicated that they are prioritizing markets in the southern hemisphere. Applications for the ERA pass are now open and will close on December 5, 2025.
