Kenya Wins Its First Cannes Grand Prix, Plus MEA Takes 27 Lions
Kenya took home its first-ever Grand Prix – and this year’s only one for the Middle East and Africa – on the final day of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026. The Partnership Agency created the winning campaign, Too Good’s ‘Paid Sick Leave For Cows’, which won the top prize in the Sustainable Development Goals category (Prosperity: Decent Work and Economic Growth) as well as a Bronze Lion in Creative Strategy (Sectors: Consumer Goods).
Above: Too Good 'Paid Sick Leave for Cows'
The jury president of the Sustainable Development Goals category, and Earth Centric Design’s chief creative officer and CEO, Kazoo Sato, was looking for work “with the potential to keep creating positive change long after the campaign is over”. ‘Paid Sick Leave For Cows’ met that criteria.
He commented, “This work asked a simple but powerful question: if recovery matters for people, why not for cows? It was a very small shift in perspective that led to a major shift in the system. Instead of forcing a trade-off between animal welfare and economic growth, it aligned the interests of both.
“It removes all the friction. I think it shows that a new set of rules can emerge from creative thinking. Not only for people, but also for other species and the living systems that support all of us. To me, that's what truly creative work looks like. It's not just about solving today's issues, but about using creativity to redesign systems in ways that create lasting change. And that's the kind of impact that endures.”
In total, the Middle East and Africa won 28 awards: eight Silver and 19 Bronze Lions in addition to the Grand Prix. Eighteen of those went to the Middle East, split between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, while the 10 for Africa were split between South Africa and Kenya.
Thirteen of the 18 Lions for the Middle East came from Omnicom agencies. Ten of those – seven Bronze and three Silver spread across four campaigns – were from FP7 McCann Dubai, making it the most awarded agency in the region.
The region’s best performing category was Media, where three Omnicom agencies – FP7 McCann Dubai, Impact BBDO, and TBWA\RAAD – took home four Bronze and two Silver Lions.
Check out the rest of the winning campaigns below.
Puck – Recipe for Change – FP7 McCann Dubai
Media: Silver (Culture & Context: Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility), Bronze (Insights & Media Strategy: Co-Creation of Branded IP)
Glass: Bronze (Initiatives)
Creative Strategy: Bronze (Challenges & Breakthroughs: Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility)
Spoor – The Birdwatcher – FP7 McCann Dubai
Digital Craft: Silver (Technology: Innovative Use of Technology), Bronze (Data & AI: Curation of Data)
Design: Bronze (Brand Design: Digital Design)
Parkin – Spots for Shops – FP7 McCann Dubai
Media: Silver (Sectors: Consumer Services/Business to Business), Bronze (Culture & Context: Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility)
Saudia Airlines – Let It Fly – Publicis KSA / Saatchi & Saatchi ME
Outdoor: Silver (Ambient & Experiential: Transit)
Direct: Bronze (Sectors: Travel, Leisure, Retail, Restaurants & Fast-Food Chains)
The Philipstown Wirecar Foundation – The Philipstown Wirecar Grand Prix – Accenture Song South Africa
Entertainment: Silver (Challenges & Breakthroughs: Innovation in Branded Content)
Creative Data: (Responsible Data Practices: Purpose-Driven Data Solutions)
Women For Change – The Unburied Casket – Edelman SA
Glass: Silver (Initiatives)
PR: Bronze (PR Techniques: Use of Events & Stunts)
The Ring – The Ring: The Legacy Continues – BigTime Creative Shop
Film Craft: Silver (Post-Production: Animation)
Vaseline – Mntana Ka Gogo – VML South Africa
Social & Creator: Silver (Culture & Context: Single-Market Campaign)
Vaseline – Love Hurts – Ogilvy Singapore / VML South Africa
Film: Bronze (Culture & Context: Social Behaviour), Bronze (Online Film: Sectors: Healthcare)
Annahar – Untaught History Edition – Impact BBDO Dubai
Media: Bronze (Channels: Use of Print)
Hansa Pilsener – Healing Era/The Hustle/Delulu Is The Solulu – Joe Public
Audio & Radio: Bronze (Excellence in Audio & Radio: Script)
IKEA Alsulaiman – Is That a Pinntorp? – Memac Ogilvy
Print & Publishing: Bronze (Sectors: Consumer Goods)
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – Laws Under Attack – TBWA\RAAD
Media: Bronze (Culture & Context: Cultural Engagement)
KFC – Om Bdr – TBWA\RAAD
Social & Creator: Bronze (Culture & Context: Cultural Engagement)
L’Oréal Paris – Missing Letters Of Worth – FP7 McCann Dubai
PR: Bronze (Culture & Context: Cultural Engagement)
Saudia – The Coolest Ihram – Landor
PR: Bronze (Culture & Context: Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility)
