Australia’s awards hit rate went on a steep rankings slide at Cannes this year, bringing home just 11 Lions, down from 31 last year.
At the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, the US bagged 162 Lions, Brazil 62 Lions, Canada 45 and the UK at 44 Lions.
Tumbleturn partner Sally Kissane, a former CEO of Ogilvy Network ANZ , told AdNews that agencies appear to have dialled back their Cannes focus while dealing with record levels of redundancies, mergers, consolidations and leadership turnover.
"In that environment, attention naturally shifts from award ambition to organisational stability and commercial survival,” Kissane said.
“Layer onto that the sheer volume of client-agency roster changes over the past 12-18 months.
“New relationships take time to bed in, and new work takes time to build. Cannes performance always lags market conditions — and this year’s results feel directly correlated to the state of the industry and the economy.”
Kissane believes there is a big shift this year from traditional style film and craft based creative to more tech and social, weaved together through great storytelling.
“The creator economy has also matured into a powerful strategically sound approach and gaining lots of attention," she said.
“Add to that stricter integrity and proof‑of‑impact requirements: CEO + CMO sign‑off, verified results and overall higher scrutiny on authenticity has meant for lower conversion of entries to awards.”
Australia won two Grand Prix this year, including Leo Australia’s Dan Wieden Titanium Grand Prix for Haven for Suncorp Insurance, and Special Australia’s Media Grand Prix for Uber Eats’ 'Build Your Own Super Bowl Commercial.'
‘Haven’ also received an additional two silver and one gold Lions.
LEO Sydney and Suncorp Insurance took home one silver Creative Business Transformation Lion in 2025 for ‘Building a More Resilient Australia.’
Kissane described Suncorp Insurance ‘Haven’ as “Likely the single most important win Australia has had in years”.
“Australia delivered two Grand Prix — and importantly, both came from long‑term partnerships and platform‑based ideas, not one‑off stunts engineered for Cannes glory," she said.
“Australia also delivered some of the more interesting AI based utilities, including the clever 1001 Optometry and VML’s Magnif-Eye, scanning user’s camera roll for signs of early-stage myopia.
“A fascinating progression from the Hidden Eye test from a couple years ago, also a Cannes winner.”
Advertising Council Australia CEO Tony Hale said that the bar at Cannes continues to evolve, and the strongest work increasingly demands more than a great idea.
"It requires world-class execution and clients willing to back creative thinking,” Hale said.
“Any time Australia leaves Cannes with two Grand Prix and work recognised across multiple categories, it’s a reminder of the strength of our creative industry and our ability to compete alongside the best agencies in the world.
“What stood out in 2026 was the diversity of Australian work being recognised.
"Campaigns like Haven, Sunburnt Car, Magnif-Eye and Uber Eats approached very different challenges, but all reflected what Australian agencies consistently do well: turn inventive thinking into work that is both creatively ambitious and commercially effective.
“Australia has built a strong reputation internationally, and I have every confidence we’ll continue producing work that competes at the highest level.”
Alex D’Asta, associate account director at creative effectiveness consultancy Cubery, said that while Cannes consistently rewards impactful, breakthrough work, winning awards shouldn't be the core goal for brands.
"It’s obviously disappointing to see Australia’s performance dip in 2026 — especially on a stage where I firmly believe Australian talent deserves to be celebrated alongside the very best in the world,” D’Asta said.
“That said, is it cause for concern? I'd argue not.
"Cannes is great recognition, of course, but what matters more is staying the course — something that naturally receives less acknowledgment at these events.
“The strongest long-term brand platforms don't simply repeat themselves — they build distinctive brand assets, then continually refresh them through new stories that reinforce memory structures while remaining unmistakable to the brand.
“That's what brands need to keep prioritising. So while Australia's Cannes results may feel underwhelming, we're still seeing plenty of encouraging signs from Aussie brands in this regard."
D’Asta said that the winning campaigns all start from distinctly Australian insights or challenges.
“Whether it’s helping communities prepare for natural disasters (Suncorp), raising awareness of Australia's high rates of skin cancer (MYCAR), or addressing everyday consumer issues and frustrations, each campaign is grounded in a human truth that feels authentic and immediately relatable.
“Uber Eats, meanwhile, showcased a different side of Australian creativity. Across both awarded campaigns, the ideas were bold, entertaining and culturally relevant, but the brand never took a back seat.
"Every story revolved around the food, stayed true to Uber Eats' distinctive tone of voice, and reinforced exactly what the brand stands for. It's a great reminder that the best creative doesn't just entertain, but strengthens the brand at the same time.”
D’Asta said that Australian brands will keep investing in long-term creative platforms.
"Australian Lamb is a great example. After decades of building a distinctive platform, the campaign was recognised at Cannes in 2025, while our own testing showed the latest execution continued to resonate strongly with consumers in 2026,” he said.
“What's made the platform so successful is its ability to evolve.
"Over the past decade, Australian Lamb has moved from its iconic PSA-style campaigns to richer, story-led advertising — continually finding fresh ways to express the platform while remaining unmistakably true to the brand. That's proof that consistency doesn't have to come at the expense of creativity.
“Australian creativity is at its best when it combines bold ideas with disciplined brand building. Alongside breakthrough work like Suncorp, I'd love to see more brands embrace that approach as that's how strong brands continue to grow.”
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