Cannes Lions 2026 Grand Prix Winners in Audio & Radio, Creative B2B, Creative Brand, Health & Wellness, Outdoor, Pharma, Print & Publishing, and the Grand Prix for Good
Cannes Lions is back for another year! And, as is tradition, the opening day of the 2026 festivities signals the Grand Prix winner announcements for the first seven categories – Audio & Radio, Creative B2B, Health & Wellness, Lions Health and United Nations Grand Prix for Good, Outdoor, Pharma, and Print & Publishing – as well as the inaugural Creative Brand Lions.
Bringing home the accolades are worthy winners spanning Puerto Rico, Sweden, the UK, Brazil, the US, and Canada. Their work includes an initiative which turned the popemobile into a mobile children’s clinic headed for Gaza, a sports field turned into a functioning barcode, a space programme launched out of the Faroe Islands, and much, much more.
See the full list of Monday’s Grand Prix winners below:
Audio & Radio Lions
Hyundai – Coquí Alarmed
In Puerto Rico, the local frog (coquí) population isn’t merely a noise, but a point of pride and national identity. Unfortunately, such cultural nuances can sometimes be lost on visitors, such as the now-infamous tourist who wrote an angry post on Reddit, asking if it was feasible to keep these critters silent.
A moment which sparked national outcry, Hyundai and BBDO Puerto Rico tapped into the moment, whilst using it as an opportunity to rally the country. Specifically, the brand would change the factory lock and unlock sound on its local cars to that of the coquí, before working with rental car distributors like AVIS, Enterprise and Charlie Car Rental to distribute these newfound ‘cultural ambassadors’ to tourists. The result? A 120% lift in engagement, 2.3 million people reached, and 98% positive sentiment. Simple, yet effective.
Speaking on the Grand Prix winner, jury president Oriel Davis-Lyons, chief creative officer at Mother New York, said, "It's such a specific local idea and insight, but the power that it had was immediately clear. It was universally admired in the group immediately. Going back to the criteria that we had going in, it made us think about our own category differently. It is a truly audio idea, but probably in a way that none of us would have expected coming into this process. In that sense, it does redefine again what the category is... It pushes the limits of what's possible, and the impact it had on Hyundai's business was very real and very impressive.
Creative B2B Lions
SKF – The Faroe Islands Space Program
With ever-growing populations, new technologies which guzzle resources, and a continued global interest in making money at all costs, it’s safe to say that across the planet, energy demand is higher than ever. In fact, some nations are even at the point where they’re looking to the moon for new resource opportunities, which is why manufacturing company SKF decided to join this emerging space race to… bring attention back to Earth.
While that might sound backward, this endeavour with NORD Stockholm saw the brand bring three partners together on the Faroe Islands, thus creating the titular ‘Faroe Islands Space Program’. But, rather than create a traditional spaceship, the involved parties built a water-based craft that could harness the power of the moon via tidal energy. Proof that with creativity, there’s always a better, more sustainable solution on the horizon, this initiative would also lead to the region committing to using this technology to generate 40% of its energy by 2030.
Praising the work, Ty Heath, director of market engagement at LinkedIn and jury president, said, "SKF, a global leader in industrial bearings and friction reduction, rejected the rational specs playbook entirely. Instead, it did something awe-inspiring: an actual space program, built to bring their belief in frictionless work to life. Unmissable, unforgettable, and very distinctive. This is creative bravery in B2B. SKF proved that creative bravery in a commodity category delivers real business results.”
Read more about it here.
Creative Brand Lions
AB InBev – Creativity at Scale
Within the newest category at the festival, AB InBev took home the Grand Prix, judged not on its collective output, but the input and capabilities which made its work possible over the last year. Adjudicated not via video case, but strategic papers only, the jury would require brands to prove sustainable results over time – something it was able to meaningfully do across its body of work.
Creative Brand Lions jury president, Marcel Marcondes, global chief marketing officer, AB InBev, said, “This Lion is unique because it evaluates the inputs – the capabilities and processes – behind the creative work that drives results. Not just across one campaign or quarter, but across years, brands, and geographies. With no Gold, Silver or Bronze awarded, we treated those shortlisted as if they were winners, and the Grand Prix selected by the jury best delivered on the category definition.”
Addressing the jury's unanimous choice to award the inaugural Grand Prix to his own brand, he offered a offered a wonderfully candid admission. "The Grand Prix was AB InBev, which is kind of weird for me to say. Although I am absolutely at peace because I was not in the room at any moment when the discussions happened, and therefore for me as an individual, it was a big surprise when I saw the result. The jury concluded that this was the best representation for us to showcase an example that would have proven capabilities with proven creative work, that has been driving results in a sustainable way in multiple geographies and brands over time. That was the key element that separated one entry from the other.
Health & Wellness Lions
The Ordinary – The Periodic Fable
No matter where one travels in the world, aggressive, specific beauty standards are a given. An entire industry thrives on this demand, churning out misleading, catchy terms to further increase marketability of products.
For this reason, Uncommon and The Ordinary released ‘The Periodic Fable’ – a scientific table with zero science that swaps all the elements for 49 beauty marketing buzzwords. Headlined by a dystopian film (directed by SMUGGLER London’s Olivia De Camps), this is brought to life by the depicted cult-like classroom of students, who appear hypnotised by some of the viral skincare trends that dominated social feeds over the past year.
Discussing the work’s impact, jury president Kainaz Karmakar, chief creative officer at Ogilvy India, noted, “It is so relevant to the times that we live in. We had jury members from across the world, and there was no one who felt that this piece would not be relevant in their country, or that it could not be shown there, or that their kids and their daughters were not at a stage where the communication this is giving would not make a difference.
“The universality of the message was one thing, the idea was strong, the message was relevant, but what made it undeniably a Grand Prix was the craft, the craft, and the craft. The communication is right on what the brand is about: simplifying beauty. The beauty industry has been complicated so badly, and beauty trends are affecting young people in a way that's really hurting their mental wellbeing. I think 'The Periodic Fable' as a film is flawless, but as a movement, it is necessary.”
Read more about it here.
Outdoor Lions
Mercado Livre – Field Barcode
Around the world, sports stadiums are known for their distinct pitch patterns, courtesy of elite groundskeeping teams who seek to make the turf slightly more eye-catching. But, nobody had ever thought to turn the grass into a promotional barcode, until Mercado Livre secured the naming rights to Pacaembu stadium in Brazil. Seizing this opportunity, the team, alongside GUT Sao Paulo did exactly that, creating a 104-metre-long scannable code that unlocked a 25% discount. Leading to over 53,000 coupon uses and 1.7 million in sales, this original idea made a huge splash – something which the jury deeply appreciated.
Speaking on the work, Rethink’s global chief creative officer and jury president, Aaron Starkman, noted, "Awarding ‘Field Barcode’ the Grand Prix was pure joy. Before the jury even met in Cannes, I saw a soccer pitch reimagined as a giant barcode and fell in love with it. That same reaction was what I hoped the Jury would share. Outdoor is about being seen in the real world, not online. It’s a physical experience that stops you in your tracks, proving the world’s oldest medium is still our most surprising way to connect.”
Pharma Lions
Novartis – Relax Your Tight End
Statistically, one in eight men become prostate cancer patients within their lifetime. Yet, according to Novartis, 40 million men don’t get tested, often because the traditional method feels somewhat invasive. On top of this, while a simple PSA blood test can also be effective in early screening, most doctors still rely on the traditional approach, which inspired the company, in partnership with Fallon, to take action.
Specifically, recognising that one’s butt can be referred to as a ‘tight end’, the two took to the Super Bowl and invited some of the NFL’s best tight ends to star in a campaign promoting screening. Depicting the athletes relaxing – whilst encouraging viewers to do the same – the campaign drove people to bring action, leading to a 367% increase in google searches for prostate cancer PSA, a 9.8 times increase in PSA tests added in online carts, and the AUA changed its guidelines.
Regarding Novartis’ ‘Relax Your Tight End’, jury president Tracey Brader, chief strategy and innovation officer at Remedy Edge UK, observed, “It started out in the Super Bowl to get attention, but it used every channel thereafter, exploited PR, it had an appropriate use of celebrity, and it had the natural empathy that comes from recognising a patient that genuinely could have died had they not had the screening performed early. It was also solving a genuine issue. Anyone in this room who's had invasive examinations knows there is a temptation to put it off, but by making light of that very fear and showing that there was a workaround, it really did open the doors to more patients, to more men coming forward and, hopefully, preventing more lives being lost to prostate cancer. I hope you'll agree that it was genuinely funny.”
Read more about it here.
Print & Publishing
Kraft Heinz – Look Familiar?
Given that ketchup is the default choice in most countries when it comes to french fry dipping sauce, it makes sense that Heinz would want to reinforce its place in that brand conversation. However, the creative insight from Rethink that around the world, french fry containers look like the Heinz keystone, was genius. Easily enough to build a campaign from, the brand took this global insight to 33 countries, achieved 1.6 billion impressions, and reminded the world yet again that when it comes to ketchup, it has to be Heinz.
Praising the brand's quiet confidence and striking visual identity, jury president Jessica Apellaniz, chief creative officer at Wieden+Kennedy México, said, "There was a lot of bravery, but we didn't reward bravery for the sake of bravery. What we rewarded in those cases was confidence, because even with the absence of the brand's product, we had the presence of the brand. That was why the Grand Prix was awarded to Heinz... There's no product, but there is a brand. We're not in the business of building memorable ads; we're in the business of building brands that stay."
Read more about it here.
Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good
Caritas – Vehicle of Hope
With Israel’s blockade of Gaza still in effect, many within the area – especially children – have been suffering from otherwise preventable medical issues, due to lack of access. In 2024, organisation Caritas set out to draw attention to the matter, working with Differ Agency to send a proposal to Pope Francis. Here, the two suggested that his popemobile be refitted as a mobile children’s clinic – a request which was subsequently approved. Made public after his passing, this initiative would inspire other NGOs to build seven additional mobile clinics, capable of helping up to 200 children a day. While all are still awaiting permission to enter Gaza, the attention generated has been indisputable.
Championing Caritas’ ‘Vehicle of Hope’, jury president David Ohana, chief communications officer at the UN Foundation, stated, "It was one of the last wishes of Pope Francis that this should be converted into giving life-saving care for the children of Gaza. Conflicts can be stopped. Let's take a full-court press of legal will as well as the best thinking in ideas from around the world, and I truly believe that it is this sector, this industry, that can make a massive difference right now.
“Good people refuse to accept the status quo; you shine a light into the darkness and choose hope instead of hate. 'Vehicle of Hope' was born, and it earned hundreds of millions of dollars of media – a testament to the power of a big and timely idea. Pope Francis personally endorsed the idea in the final months of his life, reinforcing his message of compassion and dignity. At its core, it's an idea of courage, an idea of care, and it's a simple message of people helping people, and the world needs a lot more of that right now. For that reason, our jury selected 'Vehicle of Hope' as this year's winner.”
