Cannes Lions has published its entry numbers ahead of next week’s Cannes Lions Live running from June 21-25. 29,074 pieces of work have been entered from 90 countries, with entries spanning two years after the awards were paused due to the global pandemic in 2020.
Simon Cook, managing director, Lions, said that this was a moment for the industry “to reflect but also look forward.” He continued, “Bringing together this mass of work from across the globe to present to our juries is always an exciting moment for us. The work gives us an initial snapshot of the industry, before our expert juries take on the task of awarding the work that will set the new creative benchmark. This is a highly anticipated moment and the work across two years tells a story about the changing shape of creativity throughout the global pandemic, and showcases the power of creativity as a vehicle for change.”
The work comes from a broader mix of entrants than previous years, and across all Lions. Numbers show that brands continue to invest in creativity, while entries from independent agencies are up by 14% and production companies by 19%.
The newly launched Creative Business Transformation Lions–celebrating creativity that drives business forward–has had a strong first year, indicating that creative companies are now being asked to solve real business problems, with creative thinkers increasingly applying their skills to the business as a whole. Similarly, the Titanium Lions–recognizing work that breaks new ground with provocative, boundary-busting, envy-inspiring ideas–have seen large engagement this year with 15% more entries than 2019.
With the global pandemic causing a shift from real world experiences, digital has continued to boom, with other Lions seeing increased engagement including the Social & Influencer Lions up 14% and the Creative eCommerce Lions which have seen a 12% increase year on year.
Suggesting that companies have shifted to short term strategy in the face of unprecedented circumstances, work that relies on long term strategy and results appears to have been hit this year, with entries into the Creative Effectiveness Lions down 38% and the Creative Strategy Lions seeing a 20% drop.
Susie Walker, VP of awards, Lions, said, “During Cannes Lions Live we plan to really dig into the work like never before. Our content includes daily Awards Shows from Cannes, where the winners will be announced for the first time; The Debriefs, a series of interviews with all 28 Jury Presidents in their home cities across the world to analyze the winning work; and a data studio that will track the winning entries live, providing regular daily insight and analysis on a scale that we haven’t delivered before. We’re excited to be returning the global creative benchmark through the Lions, and we’ll delve even further into the work and the winners when we publish the annual Lions Creativity Report later in the year. ”
Jury members from across the world are currently convening remotely to judge, discuss and award the Lions. Shortlists for the Innovation Lions, Titanium Lions and Glass: The Lion for Change have already been released here; the remaining 25 shortlists will be released from June 19 onwards. The Lion winners are set to be revealed in a series of live streamed Awards Shows throughout Cannes Lions Live from June 21-25.
Review: Malcolm Washington Makes His Feature Directing Debut With “The Piano Lesson”
An heirloom piano takes on immense significance for one family in 1936 Pittsburgh in August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson." Generational ties also permeate the film adaptation, in which Malcolm Washington follows in his father Denzel Washington's footsteps in helping to bring the entirety of The Pittsburgh Cycle — a series of 10 plays — to the screen.
Malcolm Washington did not start from scratch in his accomplished feature filmmaking debut. He enlisted much of the cast from the recent Broadway revival with Samuel L. Jackson (Doaker Charles), his brother, John David Washington (Boy Willie), Ray Fisher (Lymon) and Michael Potts (Whining Boy). Berniece, played by Danielle Brooks in the play, is now beautifully portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler. With such rich material and a cast for whom it's second nature, it would be hard, one imagines, to go wrong. Jackson's own history with the play goes back to its original run in 1987 when he was Boy Willie.
It's not the simplest thing to make a play feel cinematic, but Malcolm Washington was up to the task. His film opens up the world of the Charles family beyond the living room. In fact, this adaptation, which Washington co-wrote with "Mudbound" screenwriter Virgil Williams, goes beyond Wilson's text and shows us the past and the origins of the intricately engraved piano that's central to all the fuss. It even opens on a big, action-filled set piece in 1911, during which the piano is stolen from a white family's home. Another fleshes out Doaker's monologue in which he explains to the uninitiated, Fisher's Lymon, and the audience, the tortured history of the thing. While it might have been nice to keep the camera on Jackson, such a great, grounding presence throughout, the good news is that he really makes... Read More