The scandals that rocked this yr’s Cannes Lions haven’t discouraged advertisers and entrepreneurs from coming into business awards exhibits—but.
At current, proof suggests advertisers and entrepreneurs nonetheless see extra upside to collaborating in business awards competitions than draw back.
Amongst U.S. advertisers and entrepreneurs employed at firms that sometimes undergo business awards, 52% stated their group plans to extend its participation in future contests, whether or not that entails sending extra entries, setting apart extra finances, or sending extra employees members to attend the corresponding occasion.
On the similar time, 14% of survey respondents stated their firm plans to lower participation in award competitions shifting ahead, whereas 22% intend to maintain their present ranges of participation unchanged.
The findings come from client analytics and promoting agency CivicScience, which this month polled greater than 200 U.S. adults who indicated they work in both promoting or advertising and marketing.
In whole, 68% of U.S. advertisers and entrepreneurs stated they have been conscious of the controversies surrounding the 2025 Cannes Lions awards. Across the similar proportion acknowledged their firm sometimes submits entries to business award competitions.
For 2025, Cannes Lions obtained 26,900 award submissions, up lower than 1% in comparison with final yr’s tally. Regardless of the slight bump in entries, the entire variety of submitted work was 38% decrease in comparison with the occasion’s all-time excessive of 43,101 reported in 2016.
Annual tallies reveal a downward pattern since then, adopted by stagnation.
Awards beneath fireplace
This yr’s Cannes Lions, which has lengthy been thought of the advert business’s most prestigious awards present, was some of the controversial in current reminiscence. Scandals together with the invention of AI-manipulated footage in case movies, in addition to unverified and deceptive outcomes, led to withdrawn Lions, govt departures, and shopper backlash.
Companies together with DDB’s DM9, LePub, Intestine Amsterdam, Proficient India, and FCB have been on the heart of the scandals.
Following the controversy, Cannes Lions launched new international integrity requirements that may take impact for 2026 submissions. Different awards organizations, together with The One Membership for Creativity, the Clio Awards, and D&AD, are additionally tightening their protocols forward of entry season this fall.
