India Aims for Cannes Lions Glory with Design and Film Craft

Design leads India’s charge with two shortlisted campaigns, while Film Craft contributes three entries ahead of tonight’s awards

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Jun 23, 2026 3:12 PM  | 2 min read
India Aims for Cannes Lions Glory with Design and Film Craft
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  • The Cannes Lions 2026 awards night will announce winners in various categories, including Design, Film Craft, and Entertainment, with India having 18 shortlisted entries overall.
  • India has secured five entries in contention across the eight categories being awarded, with two shortlists in Design and three in Film Craft.
  • Notable shortlisted entries include "The Slooowest Vending Machine in the World" for KitKat and "Don’t Look Up" for Steadfast Fake Money Detector.
  • India did not receive any shortlist entries in categories such as Digital Craft, Industry Craft, and Entertainment Lions for Music and Sport.

The second awards night at Cannes Lions 2026 will see winners announced across Design, Digital Craft, Film Craft, Industry Craft, Entertainment, Entertainment Lions for Gaming, Entertainment Lions for Music and Entertainment Lions for Sport.

India heads into the festival’s second awards night with 18 shortlisted entries across the categories announced so far. Of these, five entries are in contention in the eight categories being awarded today. Design has delivered two shortlisted campaigns, while Film Craft has contributed three.

Design: 2 Shortlists

India secured two shortlists in the Design Lions category.

The Slooowest Vending Machine in the World for KitKat by VML Gurgaon and VML Amsterdam, along with The Other Half, New Delhi, has been shortlisted in Design in the Brand Environment & Experience Design category.

The second shortlisted entry is The Art of Survival for Godawan by 22feet, Mumbai and Butterfly Cannon, London, with McCann India, Mumbai, in the Packaging Design category.

Film Craft: 3 Shortlists

India’s strongest showing on Day 2 comes from Film Craft, with three shortlisted entries.

Don’t Look Up for Steadfast Fake Money Detector by TBWA\Lintas, Mumbai and Ducktape Studios, Mumbai, has secured a shortlist in the Script category.

Renu vs The City for St. Jude India ChildCare Centres by Ogilvy India and Hungry Films, Mumbai, has also made the cut in the Casting category.

Completing the Film Craft tally is Jeere Mein Heera for Coca-Cola’s RimZim Jeera by ZigZag Films, Mumbai and Talented in the Use of Licensed/Adapted Music category.

Categories with no Indian shortlists

India did not secure any shortlist entries in Digital Craft, Industry Craft, Entertainment, Entertainment Lions for Gaming, Entertainment Lions for Music and Entertainment Lions for Sport.

Last year, Design emerged as one of India’s strongest categories among today’s awards, delivering five shortlists and one Bronze Lion for the ‘Eye Test Menu’ campaign for Titan Company Limited by Ogilvy India. Film Craft contributed three shortlisted entries, while Entertainment Lions for Music and Entertainment Lions for Sport yielded three shortlists each and one Silver Lion apiece. In Entertainment Lions for Music, VML India won a Silver Lion for The Girl Who Played the Tutari for Coca-Cola India's Coke Studio Bharat. In Entertainment Lions for Sport, Talented secured a Silver Lion for Avani's Gold for Britannia Marie Gold.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026 continues in Cannes, France, with the second set of winners set to be announced tonight.

Published On: Jun 23, 2026 3:12 PM