Anupriya Acharya and Kainaz Karmakar named Cannes Lions 2026 Jury Presidents

New Delhi: The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, scheduled for June 22–26, 2026, has announced its 2026 Jury President lineup.

Two creative leaders from India have been named Jury Presidents this year. Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia, will lead the Creative Data Lions jury, while Kainaz Karmakar, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India, has been named Jury President for the Health & Wellness category.

Acharya is the first leader from India’s media fraternity to be named Jury President for the Creative Data Lions at Cannes Lions.

Acharya said, “I’m honoured to lead the jury for the Creative Data Lions, a category that reflects how creativity today is increasingly shaped by the interplay of data, intelligence and technology. There is often a misconception that data limits creativity when, in fact, it can expand its possibilities—informing ideas, experiences and content that are meaningful, measurable, and relevant at scale. I’m looking forward to seeing how our industry uses data with imagination and responsibility to deliver creativity that drives real business impact.”

Additionally, Sindhuja Rai, Chief Client Officer, WPP Media, APMEA, has been named Jury President for the Media category.

Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev, has been named the inaugural Jury President for the Creative Brand Lion. Introduced this year, the Creative Brand Lion recognises visionary brands building systems, cultures and capabilities.

The lineup also highlights the growing influence of independent agencies. With first-time Jury Presidents from Artplan, Rethink, M+C Saatchi and Mother (Industry Craft), the list underscores the role independent agencies play in pushing creative boundaries across industries and markets worldwide.

Chaka Sobhani, Global Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Worldwide, has been named Jury President for the Dan Wieden Titanium Lions.

Cannes Lions is open for Awards submissions until 9 April 2026.

The full jury chair line-up is mentioned below: 

1. Audio & Radio: Oriel Davis-Lyons, Chief Creative Officer, Mother New York, USA
2. Brand Experience & Activation: Rafael Pitanguy, Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML, Global
3. Creative B2B: Ty HeathGlobal Director, Thought Leadership, GTM Strategy, LinkedIn, Global
4. Creative Brand: Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev, Global
5. Creative Business Transformation: Gugu Mthembu, Chief Marketing Officer, Telkom, South Africa
6. Creative Commerce, Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer, Flywheel, Global
7. Creative Data: Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia
8. Creative Effectiveness: Bertille Toledano, CEO, BETC and Havas Creative Middle East; President, Havas Creative Network, Global
9. Creative Strategy: Sarah Lemarié, Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis, France
10. Design: Greg Quinton, Chief Creative Officer, Design Bridge and Partners, Global
11. Digital Craft: Andrés Ordóñez, Global Chief Creative Officer, McCann, Global
12. Direct: Joaquín Cubría, Chief Creative Officer, GUT, Argentina
13. Entertainment: Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide, Global
14. Entertainment Lions for Gaming: Lolly Thomson, Joint Global Chief Creative Officer, M+C Saatchi Group, Global
15. Entertainment Lions for Music: Matt Murphy, Global Chief Creative Officer, 72andSunny, Global
16. Film: Pelle Sjoenell, Former Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Droga5, part of Accenture Song, Global
17. Glass: The Lion for Change: Monique Nelson, Executive Chair, UWG, USA
18. Health & Wellness: Kainaz Karmakar, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, India
19. Industry Craft: Rafael Gil, Chief Creative Officer, Artplan, Brazil
20. Innovation: Kazuhiro Shimura, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc., Japan
21. Media: Sindhuja Rai, Chief Client Officer, WPP Media, APMEA
22. Outdoor: Aaron Starkman, Global Chief Creative Officer, Rethink, Global
23. PR: Dana Tahir, CEO, HAVAS Red, Middle East and Egypt
24. Print & Publishing: Jessica Apellaniz, Chief Creative Officer, Wieden+Kennedy, Mexico
25. Social & Creator: Mihnea Gheorghiu, Global Chief Creative Officer, LePub, Global
26. Sustainable Development Goals: Kazoo Sato, Chief Creative Officer and CEO, Earth Centric Design, Japan

Simon Cook, CEO, Lions, said, “Our Jury Presidents are selected for their proven creative leadership, global perspective and ability to recognise creative work that will raise the bar. The 2026 Jury President line-up reflects the full breadth of creativity today – spanning from brand building to transformation, to driving culture and influencing commerce. I have no doubt they will collectively set a powerful new standard for the year ahead.”