A Guide to the Cannes Lions Awards

If this is your first time entering, we suggest reading through this guide in order. It covers everything you’ll need to know at each stage of your entry journey. From how to select the most appropriate categories for your work, to guidance on how to craft your entry, right through to what happens during the Festival in June.

And if you still have questions or can’t find what you’re looking for, our Awards team is on hand to help.

If you've entered before and are looking for a more specific piece of information, use the side navigation to quickly locate it. Alternatively, explore the ‘How to craft your entry’ section for advice from former Jurors and examples of winning work.

Changes to the 2025 Cannes Lions Awards will be available in November 2024. The 2025 Awards will open in January 2025.

The first step is determining (a) if it’s eligible and (b) where. This means getting to know the Awards and their categories as well as the rules and eligibility. All this information can be found in our Entry Kit, which is broken down into two sections.

You'll be able to access the 2025 Entry Kit in November, when we announce the changes for Cannes Lions 2025.

We’ve summarised the main rules from Entry Kit Part 2 to help you figure out if your work is eligible for entry. Use this as a starting point, not a substitute. And once you’ve got an idea of where you want to enter always check the full terms and conditions to make sure you’ve understood the rules.

1. The entry has been submitted exactly as published / aired / released and has not been modified for entry into the Cannes Lions Awards.
   
   
2. The entry has been created within the context of a normal paying contract and genuine brief from a brand – or, if it’s a case of self-promotion or a non-profit organisation, the brand has approved all the media / production / implementation.
   
   
3. You have permission to enter this work from the commissioning brand/brand-owning company. We may request proof of this permission directly from the brand.
   
   
4. You have included the brand contact details in the entry including name, position and full contact details.
   
   
5. The entry is not speculative or conceptual advertising and has not been banned or withdrawn from the market.
   
   
6. A duly authorised senior officer (CD, CEO or Chairperson) from the Entrant has given permission for the work to be entered.
   
   
7. The entry was not entered into the same Lion last year (the same piece of work cannot be submitted for the same Lion in consecutive Festivals). If the entry meets the relevant Eligibility Requirements, including the Eligibility Period requirements, you may enter the Work into an alternative Lion.
   
   
8. There is no reference to your Company or any contributing creative Companies in any digital or physical materials (except in the case of self-promotion or if the reference existed in the original execution).
   
   
9. The entry and/or digital or physical materials can be understood in English. For further information, click here.
   
   
10. When you pay for your entries, all media included in them must be the final version. We can’t accept replacement or additional media after an entry has been finalised and received by the Festival without exception.
    
    
11. By submitting an entry, you confirm that you own all applicable legal rights for all media included in your entry.
    
    
12. You have entered the work into no more than six Lions, excluding Titanium Lions.
    
    
13. By submitting an entry, you agree to pay the relevant entry fee.

Once you’ve made sure your work meets all the necessary eligibility requirements, it’s time to identify which Lion or Lions best suit your work. For this, reference Entry Kit Part 1. Here, you’ll find a breakdown of all the Awards and their categories, including their judging criteria and material requirements.

Navigate your way through this Kit by considering two questions:

1. What key elements do you focus on when describing your work? Is it the craft, the engagement or maybe the creative strategy? Identifying the root of your work will allow you to match it with the most appropriate Lion.

2. What was the objective? What were you trying to achieve? Was there a particular element that really helped to deliver on that objective? Identifying the intention behind your work will help you when it comes to category selection.

The written explanation is a compulsory element for every Award. It serves as an opportunity for you to tell the Jurors everything they need to know about your work, from the creative idea, strategy and execution, right through to the results.

Each question has been specifically designed to help you showcase your work, so make sure you take full advantage of each one and answer with as much relevant detail as possible. If you’re entering your work across multiple Awards, resist the temptation to copy and paste your answers. Tailoring them for each entry, within the context of that Award and category, will make it easier for the Jury to understand why your work deserves to win there.

The supporting materials are some of the most important elements of your entry. They are what the Jury examine, watch and read during their decision-making. Each Award has different material requirements. Some elements are mandatory, others recommended or optional. Below is an overview of the entry requirements – please see Entry Kit 1 for the full list, plus formatting guidelines.

Regardless of the Award you’re entering, some general rules to remember are:

• All case films and presentation images must be in English.
  
  
• Work that was not originally published in English (TV commercials, print ads, billboards, etc.) can be translated or subtitled exactly as it was published or aired so that it can be understood in English by the Jury.
  
  
• If translating original video work, please note that dubbing is not allowed. Voiceovers can be translated, but visible speech must be kept in the original language and subtitled.
  
  
• Supporting materials must not contain any reference to your agency or any contributing creative companies or individuals.

The presentation image is compulsory across many Awards. This is a visual presentation of your work, including images and English text, concisely summarising the brief, execution and results. It is often referenced by Jurors and should provide an engaging, easy-to-digest overview of the work.

The case film is not mandatory for all Awards but is often a highly recommended addition to your submission. A case film gives you an opportunity to introduce and explain your work. It’s often the first thing the Jury sees, so include your cultural context, reference your original objective and final outcome and keep it under 2 minutes. The case film will be displayed publicly on our intelligence platform The Work.

We have a range of resources available to help with crafting your entry. Get inspired by previous winning work, dive into Jury room insights to better understand what Jurors are looking for and talk to our Awards team about category selection.

Use this checkout checklist to ensure you’ve completed everything correctly:

• Have you double checked your work meets the eligibility criteria detailed in Entry Kit 2?

• Have you made sure you’ve got permission from the brand to enter the Work?

• Have you made sure you’re entering your work exactly as it aired?

• Have you entered this work in multiple Lions? If so, have you made sure not to exceed the six Lion limit?

• Have you checked to make sure your visual assets are all in English or include English subtitles?

• Have you got the rights to all the assets you’re submitting with your Entry?

• Have you supplied all of the media placement information outlining when and where your work ran? (This information is used frequently, so make sure it’s correct!)

• Have you made sure not to reference the agency or any contributing creative companies in the written submission, as well as in any digital assets or physical materials?

• Have you asked a fresh pair of eyes to sense and spell check your entry?

• Are you completely satisfied with the final version? Remember, once you checkout you can’t make any more changes.

After you check out your entry, each piece of work is reviewed multiple times by our Awards team before it gets to the Jury. If there are any issues, a member of the team will be in touch. If you don’t hear from us, it means you’re all set and your work has progressed through to the judging stages.

What happens if you’ve been shortlisted?

Shortlists are decided in the first round of judging. From 15 June 2024, you’ll be able to start checking The Work to see if your work has been shortlisted.

Where can you find shortlisted work?

Success at the Festival is a remarkable achievement and no easy feat. Each year, only 10% of all entries make the shortlist and only 3% win an Award.

All entries submitted will be exclusively available on The Work. Non-subscribers will be able to access a list with the winners’ details, while subscribers can read the full entry and supporting material.

What happens if you win?

If your work has been selected for a Gold Lion or a Grand Prix, our team will get in touch with you via phone or email. This usually happens at least 24 hours before the Awards Show. We’ll send you all of the details about where to go and when you need to be there.

Please remember that we’re sharing this information under embargo so that you can make sure the right people are at the Palais to accept the Award. This means that the news cannot be shared externally until we announce it onstage.

Each day at 2.30pm we will announce that evening's Bronze and Silver winners on the Lumiére stage, with a brief showreel of a selection of the winners. This will also be updated on The Work at the same time. Your win will be celebrated at that evening's Awards Show but only Gold and Grand Prix winners will be called onstage due to time constraints.

After the Festival, Silver and Bronze Lion winners will receive an email asking them to confirm their delivery address so their Awards can be mailed to them.