Aimee Buchanan, Emma Robbins, Simone Gupta and More To Judge 2026 Young Lions Competition

Advertising Council Australia (ACA) has officially opened entries for the 2026 Young Lions Australia Competition, appointing five jury chairs who will lead judging across the categories of media, marketing, digital, film and PR.

In 2026, Aimee Buchanan, CEO of WPP Media ANZ, will head the media category; Mim Haysom, executive general manager of brand and customer experience at Suncorp Group, will oversee marketing; Emma Robbins, chief creative officer at M+C Saatchi, takes charge of digital; Ant Melder, co-founder and creative partner at Cocogun, will lead film; and Simone Gupta, co-founder of Supermassive, will chair PR.

ACA CEO Tony Hale said the calibre of this year’s jury chairs reflects the competition’s growing prestige and its role in championing young creative excellence.

Tony said, “With such an exceptional lineup of jury chairs, the Young Lions Australia competition remains the ultimate platform for emerging professionals across the industry, a place where ambition meets opportunity and our future stars are made.”

The competition offers Australia’s top young trailblazers a career-defining opportunity to compete against the world’s best at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France. Following a strong 2025 campaign, in which Australia’s Young Lions brought home a silver in marketing, a bronze in digital and two shortlistings, the competition returns in 2026 to spotlight the country’s best emerging talent.

Tony added, “Our 2025 team didn’t just represent Australia, they set a new benchmark for what’s possible when talented young professionals come together. Their ideas and camaraderie were outstanding, and we couldn’t be prouder of what they achieved. The 2026 competition will continue that momentum and give another ten champions the chance to shine on the global stage.”

In partnership with the AANA, MFA and IAB Australia, ACA will oversee category judging to ensure the highest creative standards across each discipline.

Key dates: Young Lions Australia 2026

• Earlybird registrations close: 5pm AEDT, December 19th, 2025
• Registrations close: February 5th, 2026
• Brief issued & briefing webinar: February 12th
• Entries due: February 15th (four days)
• Live judging & winner announcement: March 27th
• Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: June 22nd–26th
• Learn more and register your team here.