<\/p>\n
Cannes Lions 2026 has released the shortlist for the Entertainment Lions for Music category<\/strong>, one of the Festival\u2019s key competitions for recognising campaigns, content, collaborations and experiences that use music as a creative engine to connect brands, artists, platforms and communities.<\/p>\n The Entertainment Lions for Music celebrate creative musical collaborations and branded music content<\/strong>, recognising work where music is not simply a supporting element, but a central tool for storytelling, identity, engagement, distribution and cultural relevance.<\/p>\n The 2026 Jury President for Entertainment Lions for Music is Matt Murphy, Global Chief Creative Officer at 72andSunny, Global.<\/strong> His leadership brings a strong creative perspective to a category shaped by art, technology, entertainment and culture.<\/p>\n The Entertainment Lions for Music 2026 shortlist includes 34 shortlisted entries<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n The selection confirms that music has become a strategic platform for brands<\/strong>, capable of earning voluntary attention, activating communities, amplifying social messages, creating cultural moments and turning campaigns into entertainment experiences with value of their own.<\/p>\n 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, Rosal\u00eda, Johnnie Walker, McDonald\u2019s, Life360, Kotex, Clash Royale, Heineken, Netflix and Cervezas Alhambra.<\/strong> The range of finalists confirms music\u2019s cross-category power across technology, health, consumer goods, entertainment, beverages, sport, platforms and social causes.<\/p>\n Apple stands out as one of the most represented brands in the shortlist<\/strong>, with work including \u201cHVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m Not Remarkable\u201d, \u201cBad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign\u201d 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.<\/p>\n In Excellence in Music Video, shortlisted entries include \u201cHelicopter\u201d by AWGE; \u201cPsycho Killer\u201d by Talking Heads; \u201cLuther\u201d by Kendrick Lamar; \u201cRosal\u00eda ft. Bj\u00f6rk, Yves Tumor \u2013 Berghain\u201d by Rosal\u00eda; and \u201cHVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone\u201d by Apple.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n In Brand or Product Integration into Music Content, Cannes Lions shortlisted \u201cThe Walk to the Walk of Fame\u201d by Johnnie Walker and \u201cFries Beat 2025\u201d by McDonald\u2019s.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n Use of Original Composition includes \u201cI Think of You Dying\u201d by Life360; \u201cI\u2019m Not Remarkable\u201d by Apple; \u201cBeat Cancer Off\u201d by Fuck Cancer; and \u201cDad, I Fell in Love with an Alpha\u201d by Fashion Days and The Wake Up Foundation.<\/strong> This section underlines the power of original composition to build emotion, campaign identity and brand recall through music created specifically for an idea.<\/p>\n In Use of Licensed\/Adapted Music, the shortlist features \u201cOwn Your Flow\u201d by Kotex and \u201c867-5309\u201d by The Cancer Support Community.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n Community is a central theme in the shortlist<\/strong>, with finalists including \u201cOriginal Forever\u201d by Adidas; \u201cAXA x Sonita: The Lone Voice\u201d by AXA; \u201cBad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign\u201d by Apple; and \u201cHVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone\u201d by Apple in Fan Engagement\/Community Building. These entries show how music can build belonging, participation and fandom around brands, artists and platforms.<\/p>\n \u201cAXA x Sonita: The Lone Voice\u201d appears across three subcategories: Fan Engagement\/Community Building, Influencer & Co-Creation and Partnerships with Music Talent.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n In Brand Partnerships, Sponsorships & Collaborations, \u201cOriginal Forever\u201d by Adidas has been shortlisted.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n Partnerships with Music Talent includes \u201cLady Gaga & Mister Rogers: Won\u2019t You Be My Neighbor\u201d by Rocket & Redfin; \u201cAXA x Sonita: The Lone Voice\u201d by AXA; \u201cReiimagine\u201d by Levi Strauss & Co.; \u201cPocket-Sized Halftime Show\u201d by Clash Royale; and \u201cBad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign\u201d by Apple.<\/strong> This section shows that music talent is no longer just an endorsement device, but a creative, narrative and cultural partner.<\/p>\n In Diversity & Inclusion in Music, Apple\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m Not Remarkable\u201d has been shortlisted<\/strong>, connecting music, accessibility and representation. Its presence reinforces music\u2019s role as a vehicle for conversations around inclusion, perception, talent and human experience.<\/p>\n Innovation in Music includes \u201cPlayed by Humans\u201d by Jazz Is Dead.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n In Challenger Brand, Cannes Lions selected \u201cUva Uva Bomb\u00f3n\u201d by Uva App and \u201cCara de Meme\u201d by Desperados.<\/strong> Both entries show how challenger brands can use music, humour, digital codes and cultural behaviour to gain relevance against more established competitors.<\/p>\n Social Behaviour includes \u201cNo Lineup Festival\u201d by Heineken; \u201cThe Kidney Pass\u201d by Way Out West; and \u201c867-5309\u201d by The Cancer Support Community.<\/strong> These works show how music can activate social behaviour, generate participation, mobilise communities and turn cultural insight into concrete action.<\/p>\n In Use of Humour, \u201cBeat Cancer Off\u201d by Fuck Cancer has been shortlisted.<\/strong> The campaign shows that even sensitive topics can be approached through unexpected creative devices when strategy, sensitivity and execution are aligned.<\/p>\n Mexico is represented in the shortlist by \u201cJuan Gabriel \u2013 The Ballad of Alberto\u201d by Netflix, entered by Netflix Mexico City and Monks Mexico City in Cultural Engagement.<\/strong> Its inclusion highlights music\u2019s power as cultural memory, identity conversation and a bridge between entertainment, archive, artistic legacy and audience.<\/p>\n Cultural Engagement also includes \u201cSoseg\u00e1\u201d by Cervezas Alhambra, developed by LLYC Madrid.<\/strong> The work reinforces music\u2019s ability to connect brands with rituals, cultural territories, collective emotions and deeper forms of consumption beyond simple advertising exposure.<\/p>\n 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.<\/strong> This geographic range confirms music\u2019s global role as a creative language and a platform for connection between brands, artists and communities.<\/p>\n The repeated presence of campaigns such as \u201cHVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m Not Remarkable\u201d, \u201cBeat Cancer Off\u201d, \u201c867-5309\u201d, \u201cOriginal Forever\u201d, \u201cAXA x Sonita: The Lone Voice\u201d and \u201cBad Bunny Halftime Show Campaign\u201d highlights the strength of the category\u2019s most complete ideas.<\/strong> These works compete across multiple sections because they connect music, craft, talent, community, technology and results.<\/p>\n Entertainment Lions for Music 2026 arrives at a key moment for the creative industry<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n With this shortlist, Cannes Lions 2026 confirms that music is no longer just an emotional layer within a campaign.<\/strong> It is a platform for entertainment, collaboration, belonging, innovation, purpose and brand-building capable of turning an idea into shared culture.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source roastbrief.us \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cannes Lions 2026 has released the shortlist for the Entertainment Lions for Music category, one of the Festival\u2019s key competitions for recognising campaigns, content, collaborations and experiences that use music as a creative engine to connect brands, artists, platforms and communities. 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