Cannes Lions 2026 has released the shortlist for the Entertainment Lions for Music category, one of the Festival’s key competitions for recognising campaigns, content, collaborations and experiences that use music as a creative engine to connect brands, artists, platforms and communities.
The Entertainment Lions for Music celebrate creative musical collaborations and branded music content, recognising work where music is not simply a supporting element, but a central tool for storytelling, identity, engagement, distribution and cultural relevance.
The 2026 Jury President for Entertainment Lions for Music is Matt Murphy, Global Chief Creative Officer at 72andSunny, Global. His leadership brings a strong creative perspective to a category shaped by art, technology, entertainment and culture.
The Entertainment Lions for Music 2026 shortlist includes 34 shortlisted entries, distributed across 14 subcategories: Excellence in Music Video, Brand or Product Integration into Music Content, Use of Original Composition, Use of Licensed/Adapted Music, Fan Engagement/Community Building, Influencer & Co-Creation, Brand Partnerships, Partnerships with Music Talent, Diversity & Inclusion in Music, Innovation in Music, Challenger Brand, Social Behaviour, Use of Humour and Cultural Engagement.
The selection confirms that music has become a strategic platform for brands, capable of earning voluntary attention, activating communities, amplifying social messages, creating cultural moments and turning campaigns into entertainment experiences with value of their own.
Among the most represented brands and artists in the shortlist are Apple, AXA, Fuck Cancer, The Cancer Support Community, Adidas, AWGE, Talking Heads, Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía, Johnnie Walker, McDonald’s, Life360, Kotex, Clash Royale, Heineken, Netflix and Cervezas Alhambra. The range of finalists confirms music’s cross-category power across technology, health, consumer goods, entertainment, beverages, sport, platforms and social causes.
Apple stands out as one of the most represented brands in the shortlist, with work including “HVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone”, “I’m Not Remarkable”, “Bad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign” and other entries connected to iPhone, Apple Music and accessibility. Its presence shows how music can operate as a product demonstration, cultural platform and emotional experience.
In Excellence in Music Video, shortlisted entries include “Helicopter” by AWGE; “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads; “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar; “Rosalía ft. Björk, Yves Tumor – Berghain” by Rosalía; and “HVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone” by Apple. This section confirms the continued strength of the music video as a format for craft, visual experimentation, cultural storytelling and connection between artists, technology and audiences.
In Brand or Product Integration into Music Content, Cannes Lions shortlisted “The Walk to the Walk of Fame” by Johnnie Walker and “Fries Beat 2025” by McDonald’s. These works show how a brand can enter music content without interrupting it, adding narrative, cultural or experiential value to the world of the artist and the consumer.
Use of Original Composition includes “I Think of You Dying” by Life360; “I’m Not Remarkable” by Apple; “Beat Cancer Off” by Fuck Cancer; and “Dad, I Fell in Love with an Alpha” by Fashion Days and The Wake Up Foundation. This section underlines the power of original composition to build emotion, campaign identity and brand recall through music created specifically for an idea.
In Use of Licensed/Adapted Music, the shortlist features “Own Your Flow” by Kotex and “867-5309” by The Cancer Support Community. Their inclusion shows how a licensed or adapted song can take on new meaning when connected to a cause, a health conversation, a personal experience or a relevant cultural tension.
Community is a central theme in the shortlist, with finalists including “Original Forever” by Adidas; “AXA x Sonita: The Lone Voice” by AXA; “Bad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign” by Apple; and “HVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone” by Apple in Fan Engagement/Community Building. These entries show how music can build belonging, participation and fandom around brands, artists and platforms.
“AXA x Sonita: The Lone Voice” appears across three subcategories: Fan Engagement/Community Building, Influencer & Co-Creation and Partnerships with Music Talent. Its repeated presence highlights the strength of an idea that connects music, talent, purpose and community participation to amplify a brand message with social depth.
In Brand Partnerships, Sponsorships & Collaborations, “Original Forever” by Adidas has been shortlisted. The campaign also appears in Fan Engagement/Community Building, confirming its ability to use music, culture and brand identity to strengthen community and generational relevance.
Partnerships with Music Talent includes “Lady Gaga & Mister Rogers: Won’t You Be My Neighbor” by Rocket & Redfin; “AXA x Sonita: The Lone Voice” by AXA; “Reiimagine” by Levi Strauss & Co.; “Pocket-Sized Halftime Show” by Clash Royale; and “Bad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign” by Apple. This section shows that music talent is no longer just an endorsement device, but a creative, narrative and cultural partner.
In Diversity & Inclusion in Music, Apple’s “I’m Not Remarkable” has been shortlisted, connecting music, accessibility and representation. Its presence reinforces music’s role as a vehicle for conversations around inclusion, perception, talent and human experience.
Innovation in Music includes “Played by Humans” by Jazz Is Dead. The recognition points to the importance of innovation in music production, performance, distribution and experience, particularly as technology continues to transform the way audiences discover, consume and value music.
In Challenger Brand, Cannes Lions selected “Uva Uva Bombón” by Uva App and “Cara de Meme” by Desperados. Both entries show how challenger brands can use music, humour, digital codes and cultural behaviour to gain relevance against more established competitors.
Social Behaviour includes “No Lineup Festival” by Heineken; “The Kidney Pass” by Way Out West; and “867-5309” by The Cancer Support Community. These works show how music can activate social behaviour, generate participation, mobilise communities and turn cultural insight into concrete action.
In Use of Humour, “Beat Cancer Off” by Fuck Cancer has been shortlisted. The campaign shows that even sensitive topics can be approached through unexpected creative devices when strategy, sensitivity and execution are aligned.
Mexico is represented in the shortlist by “Juan Gabriel – The Ballad of Alberto” by Netflix, entered by Netflix Mexico City and Monks Mexico City in Cultural Engagement. Its inclusion highlights music’s power as cultural memory, identity conversation and a bridge between entertainment, archive, artistic legacy and audience.
Cultural Engagement also includes “Sosegá” by Cervezas Alhambra, developed by LLYC Madrid. The work reinforces music’s ability to connect brands with rituals, cultural territories, collective emotions and deeper forms of consumption beyond simple advertising exposure.
The shortlist brings together work from markets including the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Brazil, Japan, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Puerto Rico, Italy and Mexico. This geographic range confirms music’s global role as a creative language and a platform for connection between brands, artists and communities.
The repeated presence of campaigns such as “HVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone”, “I’m Not Remarkable”, “Beat Cancer Off”, “867-5309”, “Original Forever”, “AXA x Sonita: The Lone Voice” and “Bad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign” highlights the strength of the category’s most complete ideas. These works compete across multiple sections because they connect music, craft, talent, community, technology and results.
Entertainment Lions for Music 2026 arrives at a key moment for the creative industry, as brands seek deeper relationships with audiences that choose what to hear, what to watch, what to share and what to make part of their cultural identity.
With this shortlist, Cannes Lions 2026 confirms that music is no longer just an emotional layer within a campaign. It is a platform for entertainment, collaboration, belonging, innovation, purpose and brand-building capable of turning an idea into shared culture.
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