Cannes Lions doubles funding to provide €2m worth of free passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced that it will double funding to provide €2m worth of complimentary passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities through its Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, returning for a second year.

Frank Starling, Chief DEI Officer, LIONS, said the increased investment was “crucial to continue to drive progress for both Cannes Lions and the industry. The ERA pass plays an important role in fostering a global representation of talent within the creative communications industry at Cannes Lions, and to date our funded opportunities have reached creatives in 46 countries globally. With the Festival being the destination for everyone in the business of creativity, we recognise the importance of creating equitable access to it, and this is why we’re prioritising increased representation from the Global South to support a greater range of voices and perspectives from the region at the Festival.”

Applications for the ERA pass are open now and close on 5 December 2025. More details can be found here.

With submissions into the Cannes Lions Awards opening on 16 January 2025, innovations to the Awards have also been announced today. Glass: The Lion for Change celebrates 10 years since its introduction. The Glass Lion was launched to champion work that used creativity to drive a shift towards more positive, progressive and gender-aware communication, and Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards, LIONS, said that it was now time to evolve it.

Brannelly said: “Gender representation remains essential, and following consultation and research there is now a need to evolve the Lion to recognise the importance of intersectionality, from disability and race to sexuality and social inequity. This Lion is an Award for change. Expanding the scope allows us to celebrate ideas that promote more equitable representation for a broader range of communities and also reflect the importance of embedding authentic inclusivity throughout the creative process.”

The Social & Influencer Lions have been renamed the Social & Creator Lions to recognise creators’ increasingly important role in the landscape.

Research Nester recently estimated that the creator economy market size is estimated to surpass $600bn by the end of 2036. New categories added to the Social & Creator Lions focus on creators and the innovative work that they specifically are producing for brands. Aligning with this, LIONS Creators – the bespoke learning experience for the creator economy – will return to the Festival for a second year giving creators a place to come together to learn how to build their business in a sustainable and effective way. Information on the Creator Pass is available here.

Other changes to the Lions include the addition of a sub-category to celebrate long-term brand platforms. The sub-category will sit across multiple Lions and recognise brand platforms that show long-term effectiveness in building brand equity, fostering loyalty and delivering measurable business results through continuous, creative communication efforts.

Elsewhere at the Festival, a new initiative – Country Pavilions – launches to drive greater global representation of countries at Cannes Lions.

Thea Skelton, VP Festivals, LIONS, said: “We know that creativity is an overpowered economic growth lever. The global creative economy is estimated at $985bn and could represent 10 percent of global GDP before 2030, according to the think tank G20 Insights. With this pace and scale we believe that countries and governments have an opportunity to supercharge their creative economy by showcasing their capabilities at Cannes Lions in front of some of the most influential minds in the industry.”

This global village will provide countries with the opportunity to showcase local creativity on the global stage, promote creative economies and serve as a hub for learning sessions, as well as benefit from cross-country networking. A dedicated content stage will accompany the pavilions and showcase truly global content and perspectives.

The Cannes Lions Call for Content opens today with applications accepted until 31 December 2025. Proposals are welcome from anyone, anywhere, and all applications to speak on stage should be made via the dedicated content portal. Further information can be found here.

Passes for Cannes Lions 2025 are now available. Further details on the breadth of options available, including funded opportunities, can be found here.