The number of award submissions for 2024 was 26,753, down from 26,992 in 2023 when entries grew six per cent, new data shows.
There were 1,528 entries in the PR Lions, slightly below the 1,600 in 2023, although higher than in 2022 (1,488).
The biggest proportional growth was in the Innovation Lions, where entries were up 52 per cent to 231.
Entries to the Social & Influencer Lions grew 21 per cent to 1,769. Marian Brannelly, global director of awards at Cannes Lions, said: “This year we expanded the categories within the Social & Influencer Lions to better recognise and celebrate the pivotal role that content creators play in shaping and amplifying brand messages. The dynamic influence these individuals have on audiences across social and digital platforms reflects the evolving nature of communication and branding in the modern era.”
Other Lions categories with growth in submissions this year include Creative Commerce (+18 per cent), Business Transformation (+8 per cent), Audio & Radio and Outdoor Lions (both +6 per cent) and Creative Strategy (+5 per cent).
The organisers pointed to a shift this year, with the number of brands submitting up six per cent and entries from media owners up 31 per cent.
Among the new Lions categories, the organisers said just under a quarter of submissions have come directly from brands in Luxury & Lifestyle. There were 188 entries in total for that category.
Brannelly added: “Work into the new Use of Humour category, which sits across 13 Lions, makes up five per cent of all entries within those Lions, demonstrating a shift in tone and the rise of effective commercial work designed to entertain. As BBDO’s Andrew Robertson said on stage last year, ‘humour works’.”
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity runs from 17 to 21 June. Stay tuned to PRWeek for news and analysis over the coming days, including the winners of the PR Lions, which will be announced on Wednesday (19 June).
This article originally appeared on PRWeek US.
