CANNES, FRANCE – The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity confirms a remarkable 26,900 award submissions for its 2025 edition. The record breaking volume signals robust international engagement and underscores creativity’s expanding influence across business and society.
Spanning 96 countries, this year’s submissions offer a compelling snapshot of an industry that is embracing change, elevating strategic rigor and amplifying underrepresented voices through the power of storytelling and innovation.
The Design Lions experienced a 17% increase in entries following updates that now recognize the strategic and behavioral impact of design. The Creative B2B Lions also saw a 13% rise, while the Entertainment Lions for Sport posted a 15% increase – an indication of how performance-driven sectors are leaning more heavily into narrative and fan-centric content.
The Strategy Track, which includes the Creative Strategy and Creative Effectiveness Lions, grew by 10% – marking its fifth consecutive year of expansion. This reflects a deepening industry commitment to work that not only dazzles creatively but also delivers measurable business results.
Celebrating its 10th year, Glass: The Lion for Change saw a 53% increase in submissions. This surge was driven by broader, intersectional campaigns tackling systemic issues and an increasing turn towards socially impactful work.
Independent agencies recorded an 18% increase in submissions, affirming that boundary pushing work is no longer confined to global holding companies. Likewise, updates to the Social & Creator Lions that introduce sub-categories spotlighting creator-led content drew significant attention, with 18% of entries now falling under this umbrella.
Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards, LIONS, said: “The submissions this year reveal a shift in how creativity is being harnessed for meaningful change for both business and society. We’re seeing record growth in categories that demand measurable impact, whether that’s through design thinking that transforms user experiences or strategic approaches that deliver tangible business outcomes.
Overall, the data shows an industry that continues to evolve and embrace new opportunities to drive impact, with strong engagement with creator-focused submissions and the growth of independent agency participation, representing an industry embracing new models of impact, innovation and transformation.”
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “We know that world-class creativity can come from anywhere. For business leaders seeking growth opportunities, the global benchmark provides a unique insight into creativity’s power as a catalyst for meaningful transformation and growth. With submissions from across 96 markets – and significant regional growth from LATAM – we look forward to seeing the breadth of groundbreaking ideas from across the world. We’re excited to see the winning body of work that emerges over the next week as our Juries set the benchmark that will define the future direction for our industry.”
Jury members from across the world have now convened in Cannes to judge and award world-class creativity. The winners of the Lions will be announced at the Awards Shows taking place each evening throughout the Festival, from Monday 16 to Friday 20 June 2025.
Further information on Cannes Lions can be found at canneslions.com.
