Cannes Lions Rebrands Social & Influencer Lions To Social & Creator Lions Spotlighting Creators' Expanding Role

The Social & Influencer Lions have been renamed the Social & Creator Lions to acknowledge the growing impact of creators within the industry. According to a recent estimate by Research Nester, the creator economy market is projected to exceed $600 billion by 2036.

New categories introduced to the Social & Creator Lions will emphasise creators and the innovative work they produce specifically for brands. In line with this focus, Lions Creators, a dedicated learning experience tailored to the creator economy will return to the festival for a second year, offering creators a space to learn sustainable and effective business-building strategies.

Other updates to the Lions include a new sub-category designed to recognise long-term brand platforms. The sub-category will span multiple Lions, celebrating brand platforms that drive brand equity, loyalty and measurable business results through sustained creative communication.

The 72nd edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is set for 16 to 20 June 2025 in Cannes, France. As part of its commitment to inclusivity, the festival has disclosed it will double its funding for the Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, offering €2 million worth of complimentary passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities, continuing the initiative for a second year.

Frank Starling, Chief DEI Officer, Lions said the increased investment was “crucial to continue to drive progress for both Cannes Lions and the industry”. He added, “The ERA pass plays an important role in fostering a global representation of talent within the creative communications industry at Cannes Lions, and to date, our funded opportunities have reached creatives in 46 countries globally. With the Festival being the destination for everyone in the business of creativity, we recognise the importance of creating equitable access to it, and this is why we're prioritising increased representation from the Global South to support a greater range of voices and perspectives from the region at the Festival.”

Applications for the ERA Pass are now open and will close on 5 December 2025.

With Cannes Lions Awards submissions beginning on 16 January 2025, new updates to the awards have also been revealed. Glass: The Lion for Change will celebrate its 10th anniversary since its launch.

Originally introduced to honour creative work that promotes positive, progressive and gender-conscious messaging, the Glass Lion is set for evolution as noted by Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards at Lions.

Brannelly added, “Gender representation remains essential, and following consultation and research there is now a need to evolve the Lion to recognise the importance of intersectionality, from disability and race to sexuality and social inequity. This Lion is an Award for Change. Expanding the scope allows us to celebrate ideas that promote more equitable representation for a broader range of communities and also reflect the importance of embedding authentic inclusivity throughout the creative process."

The Festival will also introduce a new initiative, Country Pavilions, aimed at enhancing the global representation of various countries at Cannes Lions.

Thea Skelton, VP of festivals, Lions said, “We know that creativity is an overpowered economic growth lever. The global creative economy is estimated at $985bn and could represent 10 per cent of global GDP before 2030, according to the think tank G20 Insights. With this pace and scale, we believe that countries and governments have an opportunity to supercharge their creative economy by showcasing their capabilities at Cannes Lions in front of some of the most influential minds in the industry.”

The Country Pavilions initiative will offer countries a platform to spotlight their local creativity on the global stage, promote creative economies and provide a hub for learning sessions and cross-country networking. A dedicated content stage will support the pavilions, showcasing diverse global content and perspectives.

The Cannes Lions Call for Content opens today, inviting submissions until 31 December 2025. Proposals are welcome from all and applications to speak on stage can be submitted through the dedicated content portal.

Passes for Cannes Lions 2025 are now on sale.