Each year, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity convenes the industry’s top minds to judge the world’s strongest creative work. While creativity is often treated as subjective, it is also assessed through rigor — data, craft, technical execution, and measurable impact.
The challenge in advertising is cultural distance. Many ideas are rooted in local truths that do not translate cleanly across borders. As global diversity expands, representation on juries can no longer be symbolic; it must be structural, led by people with lived understanding of the work they judge.
This year, that shift is explicit. Cannes Lions has appointed five jury presidents from Asia to lead Creative Data, Health & Wellness, Innovation, Media, and Sustainable Development Goals — placing cultural fluency at the center of the industry’s most influential judging table.
Creative Data
Anupriya Acharya, Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Groupe South Asia
Publicis Groupe South Asia Chief Executive Officer Anupriya Acharya has been appointed as Jury President for the Creative Data Lions at Cannes Lions 2026, becoming the first Indian to lead the jury for this category and the first leader from India’s media fraternity to be named Jury President for the Creative Data Lions at Cannes Lions.
The Creative Data Lions celebrate the transformative power of data-driven creativity. Recognizing work where sophisticated data science, strategic insights, and creative excellence converge to unlock breakthrough experiences and measurable business impact. The work should demonstrate how advanced data methodologies – whether through predictive modeling, behavioral analytics, real-time personalization, or algorithmic creativity – became the strategic foundation that enabled exceptional creative outcomes.
Anupriya has led Publicis Groupe India’s operations across the South Asia region with oversight of creative, media, PR, digital and tech agencies. She is a veteran advertising and media leader three decades of experience driving growth and transformation in the industry, and has held senior leadership roles at major networks prior to her current role.
Health & Wellness
Kainaz Karmakar, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India
Kainaz have led teams more than 40 wins across the world’s most prestigious award platforms — including Cannes, One Show, One Show Asia; D&AD, and LIA. She also dabbled in humanitarian work, government engagement and even took home a Cannes Glass Lion; Asia’s first Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness; and Ogilvy India’s first Grand Prix for Music at Spikes.
The Health and Wellness Lions celebrate creativity for personal wellbeing. The work should demonstrate an inspired approach to consumer healthcare. It should be exceptionally engaging work that promotes non-prescription products and services, publically educates to allow self-diagnosis or facilitates pro-active personal care.
Innovation
Kazuhiro Shimura, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Japan
Kazuhiro Shimura is revolutionizing the creative field as a new type of creative professional specializing in digital and innovation. With a background in biotechnology, he started his career at Dentsu. He joined the Toyota Future Mobility Development Division and was involved in the development of “i-ROAD”, the three-wheeled electric vehicle and its mobility-related services. He has successfully designed innovative solutions for clients’ businesses using technology and data, besides creating successful campaigns.
The Innovation Lions celebrate ground-breaking innovation, technology and problem solving ideas that turn imagination into impactful reality.
Media
Sindhuja Rai, Chief Client Officer, WPP Media APMEA
Sindhuja Rai is WPP Media Chief Client Officer for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, responsible for strengthening client partnerships, integration and innovation across one of the industry’s most dynamic regions, based in Singapore.
Rai has held a long track record of leadership in media, having previously served as Chief Executive Officer for Wavemaker APAC and held senior roles at global brands and media agencies, and is recognized for driving strategic media investment and business growth.
The Media Lions celebrate the context of creativity – demonstrating an inspiring and innovative implementation of media ideas, enhanced and amplified by a game-changing channel strategy that takes consumers on new journeys and unlocks new experiences.
Sustainable Development Goals
Kazoo Sato, Chief Creative Officer and Chief Executive Officer, Earth Centric Design Japan
Kazoo Sato is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of Earth Centric Design Japan. An internationally awarded creative leader, he has earned multiple accolades at Cannes Lions and other major global festivals, and has served as a judge across leading international creative competitions.
With a career shaped by global perspectives and innovation-led thinking, Sato leads the Earth Centric Design Lab with a mandate to address environmental challenges at a planetary scale. He works in close collaboration with domestic and international sustainability experts to help businesses and governments develop actionable, long-term solutions grounded in environmental responsibility.
The Sustainable Development Goals Lions celebrate creative problem solving, solutions or other initiatives that harness creativity and seek to have a positive impact on the world. Works should demonstrate how it contributed to or advanced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development across people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships.
