Jane Lin-Baden and Tara Ford among Cannes Lions 2025 jury presidents

Jane Lin-Baden, chief executive of Publicis Groupe Asia Pacific, and Tara Ford, chief creative officer, at Droga5 ANZ and Accenture Song (APAC), are among the jury presidents at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Lin-Baden, who is a member of Publicis' global management committee and previously led the Dentsu's digital transformation agency Isobar in APAC, will preside over the Creative Business Transformation Lions.

Ford, who expanded her role at Accenture Song a year ago and previously was chief creative at DDB Sydney, will oversee the Media Lions.

Other jury presidents from the APAC region include: Wendy Walker, vice president of marketing for ASEAN at Salesforce who will lead the Creative B2B jury; Naoiki Tanaka, chief creative officer of Dentsu Lab, based in Japan overseeing Digital Craft; Seiya Matsumiya, co-founder of Black Cat White Cat Music, based in Japan leading the Entertainment Lions for Music; and Josy Paul, chairperson and chief creative of BBDO India presiding over the Sustainable Development Goals Lions.

The festival has officially opened submissions for its 72nd edition and revealed the full list of jury presidents who will lead the 2025 judging process.

The festival will take place from 16 to 20 June in Cannes, France, and will showcase the world’s best creative and effective work.

The festival has introduced significant changes for 2025. The Social & Influencer Lions have been renamed the Social & Creator Lions, reflecting the growing influence of creators in marketing. Beth Keamy, chief digital officer at TBWA\Media Arts Lab, will preside over this category as jury president. 

Additionally, the Glass: The Lion for Change Award is undergoing a major transformation in its 10th anniversary year.

The award’s scope will expand beyond gender equity to encompass broader issues of social equity, including disability, race, sexuality and social inequity. 

Entrants will now be required to specify the community their work represents, detail the problem it addresses, and demonstrate its long-term impact. KR Liu, global head of disability innovation at Google, will lead the Glass Lions jury.

Simon Cook, CEO of Lions, said: “We are excited to welcome a diverse and forward-thinking group of leaders who understand the transformative power of creative excellence to drive business growth and impact. All experts in their field, their incredible talent, combined with the commitment and leadership they bring to their roles, ensures the highest levels of integrity and rigor in the judging process.”

The jury presidents for the Design Lions and Entertainment Lions for Sport will be announced soon.

Awards submissions are open until 10 April, 2025. More details, including entry kits, pass options and other festival initiatives, are available at www.canneslions.com.

This year's festival will be the first since Ascential, the owner of Cannes Lions, was acquired by publisher and events group Informa for $1.5 billion last year.

Full list of 2025 jury presidents:

Audio & Radio: Xolisa Dyeshana, chief creative officer, Joe Public (Africa and Middle East)

Brand Experience & Activation: Tara Ford, chief creative officer, Droga5 ANZ and Accenture Song (APAC)

Creative B2B: Wendy Walker, vice-president marketing ASEAN, Salesforce (ASEAN)

Creative Business Transformation: Jane Lin-Baden, ceo APAC, member of the global management committee, Publicis Groupe

Creative Commerce: Gabriel Schmitt, global chief creative officer, Grey

Creative Data: Tina Allan, global chief data and intelligence officer, FCB

Creative Effectiveness: Andrea Diquez, global ceo, GUT

Creative Strategy: Pats McDonald, global chief strategy officer, Dentsu Creative

Digital Craft: Naoki Tanaka, chief creative officer, Dentsu Lab

Direct: Gaëtan du Peloux, president and chief creative officer, Marcel

Entertainment Lions: David Rolfe, global head of production, WPP / Hogarth

Entertainment Lions for Gaming: Sue Anderson, vice-president, creative, Roblox

Entertainment Lions for Music: Seiya Matsumiya, chief executive and co-founder, Black Cat White Cat Music

Film: Kate Stanners, chairwoman and global chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi

Film Craft: Ali Ali, co-founder and film director, Good People Films

Glass: The Lion for Change: KR Liu, global head of disability innovation, Google

Health & Wellness: Eric Weisberg, global chief creative officer, Havas Health Network

Industry Craft: Matthias Spaetgens, chief creative officer, Scholz & Friends

Innovation: Courtney Brown Warren, chief marketing officer, Kickstarter

Luxury: Mathilde Delhoume Debreu, global brand officer, LVMH

Media: Dan Clays, ceo, Omnicom Media Group (EMEA)

Outdoor: Keka Morelle, chief creative officer LATAM, Ogilvy

Pharma: Franklin Williams, executive vice-president, executive experience director, AREA 23 (IPG Health)

PR: Tom Beckman, global chief creative officer, Weber Shandwick

Print & Publishing: Icaro Doria, president and chief creative officer, DM9 (Brazil)

Social & Creator: Beth Keamy, chief digital officer, TBWA\Media Arts Lab

Sustainable Development Goals: Josy Paul, chairperson and chief creative officer, BBDO (India)

Dan Wieden Titanium Lions: Judy John, global chief creative officer, Edelman