Countdown to Young Lions Australia Competition – Registrations close Tuesday, March 11

Early bird entries may have closed, but there’s still time to sign up for this year’s Young Lions Australia Competition. Industry young guns tackle real-time briefs, flex their creative chops, and compete to represent ‘Oz at Cannes Lions on the French Riviera in June. Registrations close Tuesday, March 11—grab your teammate and register today.

Advertising Council Australia (ACA), the national representative of Cannes Lions, has launched the 2025 Young Lions Australia Competition—the ultimate challenge for the industry’s next wave of creative trailblazers.

If you work in advertising, media, marketing, PR or film, this is your shot at career-defining glory—an opportunity to represent Australia at the world’s most prestigious advertising festival, Cannes Lions, held on the French Riviera from June 16-20 next year.

NEW IN 2025

To mark the competition’s milestone 30th year, ACA has introduced new enhancements to give competition entrants the best chance of winning gold:

• Unprecedented industry support: For the first time, industry bodies the AANA, MFA, IAB Australia, and ACA will unite behind 2025’s Young Lions, appointing five Jury Chairs, all leaders in their field, to oversee the competition briefs and judging.
• Mentoring from past winners, industry experts: Australia’s 2024 Young Lions alumni will mentor entrants, sharing insider tips from their Cannes experience to help craft standout presentations. One-on-one training from industry experts will further prepare local winners to excel on the global stage.
• Cannes-style speed challenge: The local competition will now mirror the intensity of Cannes Young Lions in France, with a compressed four-day format to better prepare participants for the infamous 24-hour creative sprint.
• Accommodation in the heart of Cannes: The winning teams will fly to Cannes in June, staying just a short walk from the Palais, and will have access to a dedicated support team. Festival passes, access to speaker sessions, flights and transfers are all included.

Entries will be judged online by a renowned panel of industry specialists and the top teams in each category will present their submissions live in Sydney in early April.

The winning team in each category will be flown to Cannes to compete against their international counterparts.

Download the participant kit here.

Learn more about the competition and sign up here.