Established in 1954, Cannes Lions is a global benchmark for creativity, with the International Festival of Creativity as its centrepiece. Over the past 70 years, the festival has continued to grow in influence, earning increasing equity and recognition among marketing professionals, brand custodians, and creative industries worldwide.

Each June, the festival welcomes over 15,000 registered delegates from more than 100 countries, who come together to celebrate the best in brand communication, debate emerging trends, and engage in valuable networking opportunities.

Over the years, the event has seen several changes and innovations in planning, category evolution, and judging criteria. Each edition reflects the dynamic shifts in the global creative and communications landscape.

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New Categories and Innovations in 2025

This year, Cannes Lions introduced several new categories aimed at broadening representation, advancing purpose-led communication, and embracing innovation. Notable updates include:

Redefining Glass: The Lion for Change

This category now expands beyond gender to honour campaigns that promote equity for underrepresented communities, including those facing racial, disability-based, and socioeconomic inequalities.

Social & Creator Lions

Previously, the Social & Influencer Lions category was rebranded to better reflect the evolving creator economy. With five new subcategories, it celebrates the impact of creator-led campaigns on brand storytelling and message amplification.

Design Lions Expansion

A new transformative design section highlights creative design solutions that influence behaviour, promote sustainability, and drive social change.

Creative B2B and Business Transformation Lions

These categories now feature sub-sections such as “Transformative Strategy” and “Employee Experience,” recognising strategic insight and internal engagement efforts that propel business innovation.

New Subcategories Across the Board

Long-Term Brand Platform: Celebrating sustained creative investment that drives brand equity and measurable business results.

Retail Media: Honouring strategic use of retail media for brand engagement.

Excellence in Image Description: Rewarding accessibility-focused copywriting that enhances experience for visually impaired users.

Cannes has also encouraged the inclusion of subtitles on all video content, including case studies and demo films. While optional for now, English subtitles will become mandatory by 2026 to ensure equitable access for all jurors.

Nigerian Agencies: Breaking Through the Barriers

For many years, Nigerian creative agencies entered Cannes Lions with strong ambition and bold ideas. But despite promising submissions, recognition came only in the form of shortlists or certificates like Insight Communications’ 2014 Press Lions Diploma for “Sleeping Pound.”

That narrative changed in June 2023, when X3M Ideas made history by winning Nigeria and West Africa’s first-ever Cannes Lion. The Bronze award, won in the Health & Wellness category, honoured their powerful “Soot Life Expectancy” campaign, a data-driven public advocacy effort that brought global attention to environmental health issues in Nigeria.

The breakthrough was not just a win, it was a moment of validation for the Nigerian creative industry and a signal to the world that Africa’s stories can resonate globally when told with impact and authenticity.

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Young Talent on the Rise

Beyond the main categories, Nigerian creatives have also excelled in the Young Lions competitions. In 2024, MediaFuse Dentsu Nigeria teams won three regional gold medals across Media, Film, and Design. Similarly, mediaReach OMD earned its 11th Cannes Young Lions shortlist, confirming the country’s deep pool of emerging creative talent.

Looking Ahead: Hope for 2025

As the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival unfolds, the industry is watching Nigerian agencies with anticipation and pride. The breakthrough achieved by X3M Ideas in 2023 is viewed not as an isolated victory but as the dawn of a new chapter, one where West African creativity is finally finding its voice on the world’s biggest stage.

With bolder stories, deeper insights, and rising young talent, Nigeria is ready to compete at the highest level. And as the judging progresses this week in Cannes, fingers are crossed that more Lions will be coming home to Nigeria.