The cost of entering industry awards was greater for some agencies this year. It cost DM9 CCO, Icaro Doria, his job. It cost DM9, LePub, GUT Amsterdam, Talented India and FCB India some of their gleam.

Cannes Lions became the axis of reckoning for fudging submissions details for industry awards. Manipulated case studies and unverifiable claims by several agencies were called out and, in some case, punished.

The result is that Cannes Lions is introducing new global integrity standards. The updated framework, introduced on July 10, will change how the Festival assesses creative work from 2026 onwards, with an emphasis on transparency, factual accuracy and independent oversight.  

“Creativity is only valuable if it’s credible,” said Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, in a statement. “And credibility must be earned, not assumed.”

All submissions will require approval from both the entrant company’s business leader and a senior marketer from the commissioning brand, confirming the factual accuracy of written and visual materials. Submissions will then undergo a dual-layered fact-check process made up of manual review and AI-led analysis led by a new Integrity Council. New safeguards will include access to independent data experts during judging and Cannes Lions can revoke awards at any point.

A new AI integrity Handbook will set out clear guidelines around disclosure and ethical boundaries for AI use in creative work. The handbook was built on international standards, including the OECD AI Principles, and UNESCO’s AI Ethics Recommendation, for entrants, jurors and stakeholders.

Agencies found to have submitted false work could be banned for up to three years. Cannes will also publish an annual Integrity Audit summarising concerns and outlining changes made.

 “These timely changes mark the beginning of a new era for us all – not just for Cannes Lions, but for the future state of global creative marketing,” Cook stated.