Asia continues to make its mark across the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity’ craft-focused categories, with this year’s winners underscoring the region’s strength in design systems, cultural storytelling, and meticulous execution.
From Japan’s mastery of identity and packaging design to Saudi Arabia’s growing presence in film craft and the United Arab Emirates’ recognition in digital innovation, Asian agencies collected metals across Design, Digital Craft, Industry Craft, and Film Craft Lions.
Leading the charge were Dentsu Tokyo and Hakuhodo Group from Japan, whose work accounted for multiple wins across categories, while campaigns such as “Dear Difference,” “Craftman.Ships,” and “The Birdwatcher” demonstrated the region’s ability to blend creativity, technology, and craftsmanship on the global stage.
2026 Design Lions Winners (Asia)
Japan led Asia’s performance in the Design Lions, securing three Silver Lions through work from Hakuhodo and Dentsu Tokyo, while the United Arab Emirates and South Korea added Bronze Lions to the regional tally.
Silver Lion
- “Tigris – Condensed Identity” by Hakuhodo, Tokyo / Anywhere, Tokyo / Hakuhodo Design, Tokyo for Tigris (Japan)
- “Dear Difference” by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo for Taketsuru Pure Malt (Japan)
- “Craftman.Ships” by Hakuhodo Gravity, Tokyo / Hakuhodo Cabin, Tokyo for SHIPS (Japan)
Bronze Lion
- “The Birdwatcher” by FP7 McCann, Dubai for AI-Powered Bird Monitoring for Wind Projects (United Arab Emirates)
- “Vision Pulse: Sight Beyond Seeing” by Paulus, Seoul for Vision Pulse (South Korea)
2026 Digital Craft Lions Winners (Asia)
FP7 McCann emerged as the category’s standout Asian winner, with “The Birdwatcher” earning two metals across different Digital Craft disciplines.
Silver Lion
- “The Birdwatcher” by FP7 McCann, Dubai for AI-Powered Bird Monitoring for Wind Projects (United Arab Emirates)
Bronze Lion
- “The Birdwatcher” by FP7 McCann, Dubai for AI-Powered Bird Monitoring for Wind Projects (United Arab Emirates)
2026 Industry Craft Lions Winners (Asia)
Japan dominated the Industry Craft Lions, with Dentsu Tokyo‘s “Dear Difference” emerging as the category’s highest-performing Asian work after securing a Gold and Bronze Lion, while Hakuhodo Gravity and Hakuhodo Cabin added another Silver Lion to the region’s haul.
Gold Lion
- “Dear Difference” by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo for Taketsuru Pure Malt (Japan)
Silver Lion
- “Craftman.Ships” by Hakuhodo Gravity, Tokyo / Hakuhodo Cabin, Tokyo for SHIPS (Japan)
Bronze Lion
- “Dear Difference” by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo for Taketsuru Pure Malt (Japan)
- “Fascinating” by The Nine, Shanghai for Shenzhen Tourism Bureau, China (Mainland China)
2026 Film Craft Lions Winners (Asia)
Film Craft Lions saw Asia’s wins spread across four markets, with BigTime Creative Shop’s “The Ring: The Legacy Continues” securing the highest metal of the group through a Silver Lion win.
Silver Lion
- “The Ring: The Legacy Continues” by BigTime Creative Shop Riyadh for The Ring Brand Campaign (Saudi Arabia)
Bronze Lion
- “Don’t Look Up” by TBWA\Lintas, Mumbai for Fake Money Detector (India)
- “The Kaprao Criminals” by Wolf BKK for Kaprao Crispy Chicken Rice Bowl (Thailand)
- “Light Hole” by Kodansha Tokyo / Geek Pictures Tokyo for Kodansha Ltd. (Japan)
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity takes place from June 22 to 26 in Cannes, France. See the complete list of winners here.
Check out adobo Magazine for the latest Cannes Lions 2026 winners, highlights, and breaking festival coverage from Cannes.
