Cannes Lions 2026 has released the shortlist for the Entertainment Lions category, one of the Festival’s most relevant benchmarks for recognising ideas that turn branded content into entertainment capable of attracting audiences, driving cultural conversation and building brand value.
The Entertainment Lions celebrate creativity that turns branded content into culture, rewarding work that does more than deliver a message: it earns attention, competes with traditional entertainment and creates deeper connections between brands, communities and audiences.
The 2026 Jury President for Entertainment Lions is Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer at BBDO Worldwide. His leadership reinforces the category’s focus on ideas that stop behaving like advertising and become content, experiences and narratives people actually choose to watch.
The Entertainment Lions 2026 shortlist includes 62 shortlisted entries, distributed across 21 subcategories covering fiction, non-fiction, brand integration, promotional content for publishers and networks, live entertainment, new realities, 360 experiences, distribution, co-creation, brand partnerships, talent partnerships, diversity, innovation, challenger brands, social behaviour, humour and cultural engagement.
The selection confirms that branded entertainment has become one of the most competitive territories in global creativity. This year’s finalists show that brands are no longer only trying to interrupt content; they are producing it, integrating into it, funding it, expanding it or turning it into experiences that matter within popular culture.
Apple stands out as one of the most represented brands in the shortlist, with work including “A Critter Carol”, “Big Man, Shot on iPhone”, “CNY Glad I Met You | Shot on iPhone”, “F1 Haptic Trailer”, “Bad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign” and “I’m Not Remarkable”. Its presence shows how the brand uses entertainment, technology and storytelling as natural extensions of its creative ecosystem.
In Fiction Film: Up to 5 minutes, shortlisted work includes “Unloved” by Intermarché; “A Critter Carol” by Apple; “I Think of You Dying” by Life360; “Shape of Dreams” by On; “Look Behind You” by Verizon; “Who’s Waiting for You?” by Cerveza Victoria; “For Papa!” by Instacart; and “Based on a True Story” by Missing People. This section demonstrates the power of short-form film to condense tension, emotion, humour, product relevance and brand storytelling.
Mexico is represented in the shortlist by “Who’s Waiting for You?” by Cerveza Victoria, created by Wieden+Kennedy Mexico. The campaign appears in Fiction Film: Up to 5 minutes and Cultural Engagement, confirming its ability to connect entertainment, local culture, brand identity and social conversation.
In Non-Fiction Film: Up to 5 minutes, “The Last Coke in the Desert” by Coca-Cola stands out, developed by VML New York, VML São Paulo and VML Mexico. Its inclusion reinforces the role of short documentary and non-fiction content as tools for building narrative, authenticity and cultural value around a global brand.
In Fiction Film: 5–30 minutes, Cannes Lions shortlisted “Big Man, Shot on iPhone” and “CNY Glad I Met You | Shot on iPhone”, both by Apple. These pieces show how a brand can use extended cinematic formats to demonstrate product, build emotion and create content with value beyond the advertising message.
In Non-Fiction Film: 5–30 minutes, the shortlist includes “Art’s Missing Period” by Kotex; “The Pub That Refused to Die” by Heineken; “How to Orchid” by Telepathic Instruments; and “Goodbye RX-7: Saying Farewell to a Dear Friend” by Mazda. The selection confirms the range of non-fiction entertainment, from health and community to beer culture, music, design, nostalgia and automotive passion.
Long-form work also appears in the shortlist with “The Tiger” by Gucci in Fiction Film: Over 30 minutes, and “The Philipstown Wirecar Grand Prix” and “Change My Mind” in Non-Fiction Film: Over 30 minutes. This section shows that some brands and organisations are investing in deeper narratives capable of living as complete entertainment pieces.
Brand Integration includes “Sosegá” by Cervezas Alhambra; “A Minecraft Movie Meal” by McDonald’s; “The Class in Unapologetics” by NYX Professional Makeup & Netflix; “Tiffany & Co. x Netflix’s Frankenstein – Film Integration”; and “Expensify x F1”. These entries show how brands can enter cultural properties, franchises, platforms and narrative worlds without breaking the audience experience.
In Promotional Content for Publishers & Networks, the shortlist includes “F1 Haptic Trailer” by Apple and “See It Differently” by BritBox. These cases underline the evolution of promotional content into more sensory, technological and narrative experiences designed to deepen audience connection.
**Experiences and new realities also appear in the shortlist with “Expensive Sh*t” by Huggies in Live Entertainment; “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere” by Sphere Studios in New Realities & Emerging Tech; and “Discover Your Future” by Netflix in 360 Integrated Brand Experience.** These works reflect how branded entertainment is expanding into events, immersive technology and integrated experiences.
Audience Engagement and Distribution Strategy includes “The Most Epic Watch Party Group” by Lay’s; “Live Más Live: A Night at the Palladium” by Taco Bell; and “Played by Humans” by Jazz Is Dead. These entries show that entertainment does not end with production: it also depends on distribution, participation and the way audiences are invited to share the experience.
In Influencer & Co-Creation, shortlisted work includes “The Dr Pepper Jingle” by Dr Pepper; “#MainFlavourEnergy” by Hellmann’s; and “Speed Goes Pro” by Dick’s Sporting Goods. The category confirms the weight of creators, digital communities and audience collaboration in building content that feels more authentic, accessible and scalable.
Brand partnerships and collaborations play a central role in the shortlist, with work such as “Original Forever” by Adidas; “Tiffany & Co. x Netflix’s Frankenstein”; “Sweet Revenge” by Angry Orchard; and “A Minecraft Movie Meal” by McDonald’s. These campaigns show how contemporary entertainment is built through ecosystems of brands, talent, platforms, IP and shared culture.
In Partnerships with Talent, the shortlist includes “Original Forever” by Adidas; “Lady Gaga & Mister Rogers: Won’t You Be My Neighbor” by Rocket & Redfin; “The Triangle Theory” by Doritos; “The Most Epic Watch Party Group” by Lay’s; “Pocket-Sized Halftime Show” by Clash Royale; and “Bad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign” by Apple. The selection confirms that talent is no longer just an endorsement tool, but a creative, cultural and narrative engine.
Diversity & Inclusion in Entertainment includes “The Grey Swan” by NYCOPLUS and “I’m Not Remarkable” by Apple. This section highlights entertainment’s role in broadening representation, challenging perceptions and building more inclusive stories within popular culture.
In Innovation in Branded Content, Cannes Lions shortlisted “The Philipstown Wirecar Grand Prix”, “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere” and “F1 Haptic Trailer”. These works show that innovation in branded entertainment can come from format, technology, sensory experience, production scale or audience participation.
Challenger Brand includes “Goats Got Bag” by Got Bag; “Everybody Coinbase” by Coinbase; “Expensify x F1” by Expensify; “Live Más Live: A Night at the Palladium” by Taco Bell; and “Hawkstone – Hard to Make Easy to Drink” by Hawkstone. These entries confirm that entertainment is a powerful route for challenger brands to gain relevance, differentiate and enter cultural conversations.
In Social Behaviour, the shortlist features “Colorfood” by Auchan; “Art’s Missing Period” by Kotex; “Based on a True Story” by Missing People; and “CNY Glad I Met You | Shot on iPhone” by Apple. These works show how entertainment can influence habits, social conversations, health, collective memory and emotional connection.
Use of Humour includes “Melisa” by E.L.F. Cosmetics and “For Papa!” by Instacart. Humour appears as a high-value tool for making brands more memorable, shareable and culturally accessible, especially when paired with strong narrative execution.
In Cultural Engagement, the shortlist includes “The Pub That Refused to Die” by Heineken and “Who’s Waiting for You?” by Cerveza Victoria. Both pieces reinforce a key idea behind Entertainment Lions 2026: the most effective brands do not only produce content; they understand the cultural codes that allow a story to be adopted by audiences.
The shortlist brings together work from markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, France, Brazil, Mainland China, Singapore, Ireland, South Africa, the Netherlands, Argentina, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, the Czech Republic, Spain, New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Germany. This geographic range confirms entertainment’s global role as a creative language for brands, agencies, platforms and organisations.
The repeated presence of campaigns such as “A Critter Carol”, “The Pub That Refused to Die”, “Who’s Waiting for You?”, “F1 Haptic Trailer”, “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere”, “The Most Epic Watch Party Group”, “Original Forever”, “Expensify x F1” and “Art’s Missing Period” highlights the versatility of the strongest ideas. These works compete across several subcategories because they connect narrative, culture, technology, talent, distribution and experience.
Entertainment Lions 2026 arrives at a decisive moment for the creative industry, as brands now compete not only with other brands, but also with series, films, games, music, creators, sports events, streaming platforms and digital communities.
With this shortlist, Cannes Lions 2026 confirms that branded entertainment is no longer an extension of advertising. It is a strategic discipline that demands ideas with their own value, capable of earning voluntary attention, creating fandom, generating conversation and making brands an active part of culture.
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