The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity announced the winners of awards that make up the Entertainment and Craft Tracks: Entertainment Lions, Entertainment Lions for Gaming, Entertainment Lions for Music, and Entertainment Lions for Sport, as well as Design Lions, Digital Craft Lions, Film Craft Lions, and Industry Craft Lions.
“This body of winning work represents the pinnacle of creative entertainment and artistic craft that resonate with and provide meaningful connections with today’s consumers,” said Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS.
Entertainment Lions
From 735 entries received, 22 Lions were awarded: 5 Gold, 7 Silver, 9 Bronze.
South Korea won its first Entertainment Lion, securing a Grand Prix which went to ‘Night Fishing’ for Hyundai Motor Company, by INNOCEAN Seoul.
Filmed using seven car cameras, the short film of an encounter between an anonymous agent and an unidentified being targeted the ad-skeptical MZ (millennials and Gen Z) generation for Hyundai’s flagship electric vehicle brand, IONIQ.
“‘Night Fishing’ is a somehow deeply humanistic, riveting and even bizarre action sci-fi piece, in the form of the highest order of branded entertainment,” said Commenting on the Grand Prix, Jury president David Rolfe, global head of production, WPP/Hogarth.
“We were genuinely as awestruck by the craft and narrative as we were in admiration of its rootedness in IONIQ’s unique product attributes and brand identity.”
Entertainment Lions for Gaming
In total, 327 entries were received, among which 11 Lions were awarded: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 6 Bronze.
The Grand Prix was won by ‘Call of Discounts’ for Mercado Livre by GUT, São Paulo.
To achieve more cultural relevance among Gen Z audiences, Latin America’s largest e-commerce platform transformed a globally streamed gaming session into a real-time marketplace featuring football legend Neymar Jr.
“As a Jury, we consistently went back to the definition of this Gaming Lion. We asked ourselves: Did the idea tap into the community, add real value to the gaming experience, and deliver results?” said Jury President Sue Anderson, VP Creative, Roblox.
“This Grand Prix was the whole package. It merged gameplay true to Call of Duty with ridiculously fun gamified commerce – and sold a bunch of household items in the process.”
This was Brazil’s first Grand Prix in this Lion.
Entertainment Lions for Music
A total of 469 entries were judged, with 16 Lions awarded: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 7 Bronze.
The Grand Prix went to ‘Tracking Bad Bunny’ by DDB Latina, Puerto Rico, for Rimas Music.
Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny transformed his album release into a landmark event that elevated his homeland, redefined fan interaction and set a new standard for music releases.
“We chose our Grand Prix not only for its originality, cultural impact, and bold creative execution, but because it stood as a defiant and dignified response to a discriminatory remark made by a prominent organization,” said jury president Seiya Matsumiya, CEO and co-founder of Black Cat White Cat Music.
“The artist utilized the partner corporations’ platforms to mobilize his huge fanbase and reclaim the image of his homeland. A Grand Prix should not only represent creative excellence, but it should also carry a message.”
Entertainment Lions for Music entries increased for the third consecutive year, up 6.1% (27 entries) year on year.
Entertainment Lions for Sport
From 766 entries received, 26 Lions were awarded: 5 Gold, 8 Silver, 12 Bronze.
The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Haaland Payback Time’ for Clash of Clans by DAVID New York.
Cast as the mobile game’s first-ever playable character, football legend Erling Haaland brought his fans to the game as well as offering his haters the chance to destroy the village he’d spent a decade building.
“The makers of Clash of Clans were rewarded for their bravery by partnering with Erling Haaland,” said Jimmy Smith, chairman, CEO and chief creative officer, Amusement Park Entertainment, and president of the jury.
“The fan engagement had to have made its competitors cry, as the number of downloads was well into the double-digit millions. ‘Payback Time’ effortlessly pulled all of the right levers of gaming, sport, celebrity and entertainment. So effortlessly, in fact, there was no Clash of Jurors. The Jury chose Clash of Clans’s ‘Payback Time’ for the Cannes Lions Grand Prix on the very first vote!”
The Entertainment Lions for Sport saw healthy growth this year, up 15.2% (101 entries).
Design Lions
Of the 1087 entries judged, 33 Lions were awarded: 5 Gold, 11 Silver, 16 Bronze.
The Grand Prix went to ‘Caption with Intention’ for Closed Captioning by FCB Chicago.
By transforming captions into a responsive design language through animation, typography and colour, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences included the system in the Oscars submission rule book, ensuring accessibility becomes a foundational part of filmmaking.
“This Grand Prix winner excelled as it masterfully married strong design with a greater idea and purpose,”: said jury president Jessica Walsh, founder & creative director, &Walsh.
“For over 50 years, captions for film and TV have been largely unchanged, designed to be solely functional. ‘Caption with Intention’ is a design system that brings emotion and depth and context into the caption experience.
“Designed alongside the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community to make films more accessible, it will transform the viewing experience for anyone using captions.”
The Design Lions also saw considerable growth in the number of entries, up 17.3% (160 entries) from 2024.
Digital Craft Lions
A total of 554 entries were received, with 17 Lions awarded: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 8 Bronze.
The Grand Prix was also awarded to ‘Caption with Intention’ for Closed Captioning by FCB Chicago.
“The Grand Prix-winning idea offered a brilliantly simple solution to a long-overlooked problem: making cinema truly accessible,” said jury president Naoki Tanaka, chief creative officer, Dentsu Lab.
“By dynamically adapting captions to voice characteristics, the work balanced functionality and design with exceptional craft. A small innovation with enormous human impact.”
Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan received their first awards in the Digital Craft Lions. The Consumer Services sector saw healthy year-on-year growth with an 83% (39 entries) increase.
Film Craft Lions
From 1459 entries received, 49 Lions were awarded: 9 Gold, 12 Silver, 27 Bronze.
The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Telstra - Better on a Better Network’ for Telstra by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, Sydney.
The mobile network created 26 individual spots, each representing lesser-known regional towns and remote areas that benefit from a better network. It highlighted the scale of the network in a more insightful and human way.
“Before we could vote, the Grand Prix revealed itself slowly – like great work often does,” said president of the jury Ali Ali, co-founder and film director, Good People Films.
“In a year dominated by AI and digital gloss, Telstra’s ‘Better on a Better Network’ felt like a breath of fresh air. Tactile, intimate, and deeply human. It reminded us why we fell in love with this industry.
“Fifty-six unique puppets animating 42 voices from regional Australians, across 26 stop-motion gems.
“All simple, all funny, all full of soul. Measured writing, inspired characters – and yes, a bird flying backwards. In a fast-content era, ‘Better on a Better Network’ felt like a warm, slow-cooked meal.”
Australia secured its first Grand Prix in this Lion.
Industry Craft Lions
Of the 779 entries, 22 Lions were awarded: 4 Gold, 7 Silver, 10 Bronze.
T Grand Prix which went to ‘Nigrum Corpus’, for IDOMED by Artplan, São Paulo.
To raise awareness about racism in healthcare education, the IDOMED initiative created a book combining illustration, 3D design and AI to create a visual language that blends the precision of classic medical manuals with a more human approach.
“The Grand Prix in Industry Craft awarded to the project Nigrum Corpus is a remarkable testament to creative excellence across multiple facets,” said Matthias Spaetgens, chief creative officer, Scholz & Friends, and jury president.
“At its core, it is driven by a powerful idea that is brought vividly to life through exceptional book design, typography, copywriting, illustration, and craftsmanship in every detail. Holding the book in our hands, we could feel the passion of the creatives behind this outstanding work.”
Poland won its first Industry Craft trophy with a Bronze Lion.
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