
Digital Craft
The Digital Craft Lions celebrate technological artistry.
Introduction

The history of the Digital Craft Lions
In 2016 the work submitted was becoming bolder and braver with more complex and creative digital ideas. To benchmark these ideas and celebrate the exceptional technological skill required to bring them to life, the Digital Craft Lions were launched.
The inaugural Jury President for Digital Craft, MediaMonks co-founder Wesley ter Haar, emphasised the importance of Digital Craft saying that “as digital quickly becomes the de facto interface (quite literally) between brands and people there is more at stake.”
The Digital Craft Lions have continued to grow over the years. showing how digital design is vast, wide-reaching and now more than ever driven by user need and point of access. How a digital product performs and functions is just as important now as how it looks and feels.
For 2026, we have added the AI craft subcategory to recognise the craft and artistry of work that couldn’t exist without AI but doesn’t just use it as a tool.
Guidelines to Entering

What kind of work can be entered?
Eligible work may include but is not limited to interactive websites, mobile apps, or e-commerce platforms with outstanding user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, as well as digital storytelling projects that use multimedia elements to enhance engagement. The Lion also welcomes experiential installations utilising AR, VR, projection mapping, or motion tracking, alongside innovative uses of technology like AI, machine learning, or data visualisation. Gaming experiences, gamified content, and motion graphics with high-quality animation or CGI are also considered, as are accessibility-focused projects that set new standards for inclusivity.
What are the judging criteria?
The main criteria considered during judging will be the execution and experience.
Eligibility
Work will need to have been executed during the eligibility period of 01 February 2026 - 08 April 2027.
Is there a limit to how many times I can enter?
There’s no overall limit to how many times the same piece of work can be entered into Digital Craft.
What do I need to provide with my entry?
To enter, you’ll need to complete an online entry form, which can be found on the Cannes Lions entry site. In the ‘Written Explanation’ section, you’ll be asked to provide the Jury with everything they need to know about your work.
Subtitles are highly recommended on all case films, films, demo films and original content.
Detailed information outlining the entry process can be found on our Guide to the Cannes Lions Awards.
What if I don’t have all the details right away?
Don’t worry – you can fill in the form in any order and save your progress at any time while it’s still in the pending stage. However, please only check out when your entry is 100% complete as no changes can be made to your entry once you’ve clicked “Submit” and “Checkout”.
Integrity Measures
All entries must provide Proof of Impact for every claim made in the written submission and supporting material. This material is compulsory for each entry, and types of sources accepted include third-party analytics, platform analytics, public reports, images of account dashboards, or client letter on official company letterhead.
Each entry must also receive Authorisation to Submit by the most senior executive at both the entrant company (CEO or equivalent) and the brand that commissioned the work (CMO or equivalent). This happens after your entry has been checked out and processed by the Awards team and is a compulsory step in the process.
More information on these new measures can be found on the Integrity Standards.
What if I don’t have all the details right away?
Don’t worry – you can fill in the form in any order and save your progress at any time while it’s still in the pending stage. However, please only check out when your entry is 100% complete as no changes can be made to your entry once you’ve clicked “Submit” and “Checkout”.
Entry Tips
What’s the Jury looking for?
Work that combines technical and creative excellence to innovate and inspire within the digital space. The Digital Craft Jury look for design excellence, technical mastery and originality, focusing on how well the work pushes the boundaries of digital mediums.
- A strong insight, impressive execution and real results that link back to the objective
- Considered craft (motion design, UX, AI, etc.)
Advice from the Jury
We asked last year’s Jury for tips for future entrants. Some common themes that emerged across all the Awards were:
Be clear on the problem and the solution
- Clearly state the problem your work solves. Tell the story clearly and without overclaiming on results or impact. Don’t make the Jury work to connect dots. Keep the main idea simple enough to explain in one sentence.
Focus on one story
- Lean into one clear story. It's tempting to pack in everything you're proud of, but the entries that resonate most are the ones that pick a single thread and follow it all the way through. Avoid including too many claims with regard to impact, instead focus on the most relevant and impactful results.
Tailor the entry to the category
- Treat each entry as its own creative brief. Every submission should clearly make the case for why the work belongs in that specific Lion and subcategory. Don’t copy/paste, fill your forms out with care and attention – the Jury will come back to them time and time again.
Context is key
- Remember the Jury are from all over the world, so provide context to ensure they understand the significance of your results and the relevance of any cultural insight.
Advice from Direct Jurors:
“Simple explanation and results, video that brings the consumer experience of the idea to life is critical.”
Sophie Kelly | SVP & Global Tequila and Mezcal Categories, Diageo
“Your idea needs to check three boxes - who you're talking to, the response you want, and the response you actually got.”
Joaquín Cubría | Chief Creative Officer, GUT
“Direct is about creating a genuine connection between a brand and a person. The work that stayed with me had a clear, compelling idea, was beautifully executed, and made you wish you'd thought of it first. If your entry has to do too much heavy lifting to explain why the idea matters, it's probably worth simplifying.”
Jenny Mak | Executive Creative Director & Partner, jnr.
Inside the Jury Room: Digital Craft Lions
To hear more from the Jury and how they decided on the winning work, check out the video below.
The Categories

A. Form
The overall creative aesthetic value of the work entered in both sound and visuals.
LANGUAGE OF BEDWETTING | AUTISM SOCIETY | MCCANN NEW YORK | GOLD, UX & JOURNEY DESIGN | 2026
A01. Digital Illustration & Image Design
A02. Video/Moving Image
A03. Motion Graphics Design & Animation
A04. Music/Sound Design
A05. Overall Aesthetic Design (incl. UI)
A06. UX & Journey Design
A07. Experience Design: Multi-Platform
B. Content
The creative use of content, placement and delivery of messages in a digital context.
CODE HER | O BOTICÁRIO | ALMAPBBDO, SAO PAULO | BRONZE, REAL-TIME CONTEXTUAL CONTENT | 2026
B01. Cross-Channel Storytelling
B02. Real-Time Contextual Content
B03. Personalised Storytelling & Experience
B04. Excellence in Image Description NEW
C. Data & AI
The presentation of data and artificial intelligence used to enhance brand experience.
PROJECT GENIE | GOOGLE | GOOGLE, MOUNTAIN VIEW | GRAND PRIX, AI CRAFT | 2026
C01. Data Storytelling
C02. Real-Time Usage & Targeting
C03. Data Visualisation
C04. Curation of Data
C05. AI Craft NEW
D. Technology
The value of applied technology as a platform for creative digital content and how it is executed to enhance the user experience.
SOS POS | BCP | CIRCUS GREY, LIMA | GOLD, INNOVATIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY | 2026
D01. Innovative Use of Technology
D02. Native & Built-In Feature Integration
D03. Technological Achievement in Digital Craft
D04. New Realities & Emerging Tech
The Written Submission

Here’s the questions you’ll be asked regarding your work.
To start your entry to the Digital Craft Lions, go to our Awards page.
The Jury will refer to the written explanation you provide throughout the judging process. Our advice is to provide as much relevant detail as possible.
When answering the following questions keep the main element you’re trying to celebrate in mind (e.g. the storytelling, the strategy, the craft, the use of data).
The bullet points under each question are prompts designed to guide your thinking, based on the factors the jury will be considering when reviewing your work. You might not need to use them all, and that’s totally fine. They’re there to help you consider what’s most important in your work.
Questions
1. Why is this work relevant for Digital Craft?
2. Brand Context
3. Objective(s)
4. Summary of the work
5. Describe the creative idea
6. Describe the execution
Was Artificial Intelligence (AI) used in the work or the entry materials?
Sustainability Context
Equity, Representation and Accessibility (if appropriate)
Confidential information for the Jury
Category Specific Questions
This is a preview of the tailored questions you will be asked, based on category chosen. The full list of questions can be downloaded from the entry site here.
C05. AI Craft
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We're here to help
Our Awards Experts can help with:
- Explaining the updates to the Awards for 2027
- Offering best-practice advice on how to craft a compelling entry
- Discussing your work and relevant categories
- Understanding how to use the entry system
- Scheduling regular catch-ups to answer any questions that arise throughout the entry process