Cannes Lions has named entertainer and entrepreneur Kevin Hart as the 2023 Entertainment Person of the Year. Hart is founder and chairman of Hartbeat, the global media company creating entertainment where comedy meets culture.
Presented in recognition of the vital role that entertainment plays in the marketing and communications landscape, the Cannes award celebrates the creativity that inspires others to produce truly compelling, meaningful and entertaining content.
Philip Thomas, chairman, Lions, said, “We’re delighted to honor Kevin Hart with this year’s Entertainment Person of the Year accolade. He is a trailblazing entrepreneur and through his creation of Hartbeat he has shown an unwavering commitment to building the most innovative and inclusive comedic storytelling company. This is the kind of creativity that acts as an inspiration to others and we’re pleased to recognize the important role that Kevin is playing in the entertainment space.”
Hart commented, “I am so honored to receive this award and be recognized for my work in the entertainment and advertising space. It’s been incredible to work with Hartbeat’s branded entertainment studio and marketing consultancy, along with my brand partners, to take comedy in advertising to the next level and craft culturally relevant campaigns that unite people through laughter. My team and I are just getting started and we will continue to raise the bar and make an impact in advertising.”
On Tuesday, June 20, Hart will speak on stage at Cannes Lions for the first time as part of the Entertainment Person of the Year seminar, and will be presented with the award during that evening’s Cannes Lions Awards Show.
