Fourteen Australians appointed to judge Cannes Lions 2026, including Film Craft Chair

Australia will have an expanded presence at Cannes Lions 2026, with 14 senior industry leaders selected as awarding jurors this year, up from nine in 2025. Spanning creative, strategy, design, effectiveness, production, PR and sustainability, the appointments reflect the depth of Australian talent and the continued global recognition of the local industry.

Australia’s 2026 Cannes Lions Jurors
Audio & Radio: Simon Langley, Chief Creative Officer, Bastion
Brand Experience & Activation: Amy Weston, Executive Creative Director, Clemenger BBDO
Creative Brand: Rose Herceg, President AUNZ, WPP
Creative Business Transformation: Clare Pickens, CEO, Leo
Creative Effectiveness: Brent Smart, Chief Marketing Officer, Telstra
Design: Ben Miles, Chief Design Officer APAC, R/GA
Digital Craft: Tim Devine, Global Chief Invention Officer, AKQA
Entertainment: Jason Williams, Chief Creative Officer & Head of Creative Excellence APAC & MEA, Publicis Groupe
Film: Micah Walker, Founder / Chief Creative Officer, Bear Meets Eagle On Fire
Film Craft (Jury Chair): Pip Smart, Partner & Executive Producer, Revolver
Health & Wellness: Amanda Fuller, Managing Partner, Omnicom Health
Pharma: Ryan Wallman, Executive Creative Director, Wellmark
PR: Simone Gupta, Co-Founder, Supermassive
Sustainable Development Goals: Rob Galluzzo, CEO, FINCH

View the full global jury lineup.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity will take place from 22–26 June 2026 in Cannes, France, bringing together global leaders across advertising, marketing, media, technology and business.

Says Tony Hale, CEO, Advertising Council Australia: “To see 14 Australians selected to judge at Cannes Lions is a strong endorsement of the talent, leadership and creative standards coming out of this market.

“It’s a clear reflection of Australia’s exceptional performance at Cannes in 2025. We’ve long earned a reputation for producing influential ideas and world-class people, and it’s fantastic to see that recognised again through this year’s jury appointments.”

Says Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS: “The impact of the Cannes Lions Jury can’t be underestimated. Their time and expertise in recognising groundbreaking work sets the global creative benchmark for the year ahead and provides a view of the future shape of creativity.

“Each year, our Juries are carefully selected to uphold this standard, and this year is no exception. Welcoming new expert voices across a breadth of markets and disciplines, we are delighted to bring together some of the industry’s most well-respected leaders to define the creative standards driving our industry forward and celebrate the transformative power of creativity to create change, shape society, and build business.”

The line-up for the Creative Brand, Dan Wieden Titanium and Luxury Juries are yet to be announced.

Register for FREE HERE and receive the Campaign Brief Daily Bulletin and/or the global Best Ads Best of the Week Bulletin.              Subscribe to Campaign Brief Magazine.

#More Creative News   #No paywalls   #No annual membership fees

Subscribe to Portfolio & Reel for current listings of Australian and NZ ad agency and production company leadership and key personnel