Cannes Lions 2025: Submissions open with Ali Ali as Jury President

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has officially commenced submissions for its 72nd edition, slated to take place in June 2025. Among the distinguished Jury Presidents announced is Ali Ali, Co-founder and Film Director of Good People Films, who will make history as the first Egyptian to preside over the Film Craft Lions Jury.
In a nod to the evolving creative landscape, Cannes Lions has rebranded its Social & Influencer Lions as the Social & Creator Lions. This shift highlights the growing influence of creators in marketing, with Beth Keamy, Chief Digital Officer at TBWAMedia Arts Lab, leading this category.
Marking its 10th anniversary, the 'Glass: The Lion for Change' award will broaden its scope to recognize creative work addressing social equity across diverse communities, including those related to race, sexuality, disability, and inequality. KR Liu, Global Head of Disability Innovation at Google, will preside over this category.
KR Liu, Global Head of Disability Innovation at Google and a passionate advocate for inclusion and progress, will serve as Jury President to promote transformative creative solutions in this arena.
Commenting on the Jury Presidents, Simon Cook, CEO of Cannes Lions, expressed enthusiasm, stating: “We are thrilled to welcome a diverse and innovative group of leaders who grasp the transformative power of creative excellence in driving business growth and impact. Their outstanding skills, alongside their dedication and leadership, assure a high standard of integrity and thoroughness in the judging process. We extend our gratitude for the contributions they will make to this crucial task in June.”
The festival's lineup of Jury Presidents for the 2025 edition includes a diverse mix of global creative leaders across various sectors. Among the notable appointments are Xolisa Dyeshana, Chief Creative Officer at Joe Public, leading the Audio & Radio Jury, and Kate Stanners, Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi, who will oversee the Film category. The Film Craft jury will also be led by Ali Ali.

In the Entertainment Lions category, David Rolfe, Global Head of Production at WPP/Hogarth, will take the lead, with Sue Anderson, Vice President of Creative at Roblox, heading the Gaming segment, and Seiya Matsumiya, CEO of Black Cat White Cat Music, guiding the Music category.
The festival showcases strong representation from the Asia-Pacific region in its transformation and innovation categories, with Jane Lin-Baden, CEO APAC at Publicis Groupe, leading Creative Business Transformation. Wendy Walker, Vice President of Marketing at Salesforce, will oversee Creative B2B, while Courtney Brown Warren, Chief Marketing Officer at Kickstarter, will guide the Innovation category, and Tina Allan, Global Chief Data and Intelligence Officer at FCB, will lead Creative Data.
The Luxury category will be helmed by Mathilde Delhoume Debreu, Global Brand Officer at LVMH. The Social & Creator category, newly rebranded, will be led by Beth Keamy. Meanwhile, KR Liu will preside over the 'Glass: The Lion for Change' category.
The festival also boasts strong regional leadership, with Keka Morelle, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy LATAM, leading Outdoor; Dan Clays, CEO of Omnicom Media Group, presiding over Media; and Josy Paul, Chairperson and Chief Creative Officer of BBDO India, supervising the Sustainable Development Goals category. Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer at Edelman, will lead the Dan Wieden Titanium Lions.
Key jury appointments also include Franklin Williams, overseeing the Pharma Lions; Tom Beckman for the PR Lions; Icaro Icaro Doria for Print & Publishing; Eric Weisberg for Health & Wellness Lions; and Matthias Spaetgens presiding over the Industry Craft Lions.
Gabriel Schmitt, Global Chief Creative Officer at Grey, will guide the Creative Commerce category, while Andrea Diquez will lead the Creative Effectiveness Lions, and Pats McDonald will chair the Creative Strategy category. Naoki Tanaka will oversee the Digital Craft Lions, Gaëtan du Peloux will guide the Direct Lions, and Tara Ford will chair the Brand Experience & Activation category.