IAPI are thrilled to announce that no less than five Irish Creative Directors will be joining the Cannes Lions Jury 2021. They join the line-up of global experts selected to award the world’s very best creative work and benchmark of excellence this June.

The five Cannes Lions jury members from Ireland are:

  • Carol Lambert, Board Creative Director, Publicis Dublin, joins the Industry Craft Lions awarding jury
  • Rory Hamilton, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Boys + Girls, joins the Film Craft Lions awarding jury
  • Emma Sharkey, Chief Strategy Officer, Rothco part of Accenture Interactive. joins the Radio & Audio Lions awarding jury
  • Damian Hanley, Board Creative Director, In the Company of Huskies, Dublin, joins the Film Lions shortlisting jury
  • Karl Waters, Creative Partner, Folk Wunderman Thompson, Ireland, joins the Brand Experience & Activation Lions shortlisting jury
Meet the Cannes Lions 2021 jury members selected from Ireland
Meet the Cannes Lions 2021 jury members selected from Ireland
Carol Lambert
Carol Lambert
Board Creative Director
Rory Hamilton
Rory Hamilton
Chief Creative Officer & Founder, Boys + Girls
Emma Sharkey
Emma Sharkey
Chief Strategy Officer, Droga5 Dublin, part of Accenture Song
Damian Hanley
Damian Hanley
Creative Director, In the Company of Huskies
Karl Waters
Karl Waters
Creative Partner, Folk Wunderman Thompson

“We are delighted that five of the jurors IAPI proposed from Ireland have been selected for Cannes Juries," said Charley Stoney, CEO, IAPI. "This announcement supports IAPI’s ambitious strategy to promote Ireland as a Centre of Excellence for the Commercial Creativity sector at home and abroad. The recent launch of IAPI’s unique platform, Ireland: Where Creative is Native showcases the power and capability of Irish creativity to the wider world and, now it looks as if that wider world is taking notice.”

IAPI is the official Irish representative for Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and through this relationship were able to nominate Irish industry figures for inclusion in the juries this year. This is the first time Ireland has three Awarding Jury members and two Shortlisting Jury will be joining the stellar line-up of global experts selected to award the world’s very best creative work and benchmark excellence this June.

Cannes Lions Live 2021
Cannes Lions Live 2021

The Lion-winning work will be announced and awarded during Cannes Lions Live, a fully digital experience, running from 21-25 June 2021.

The Lions shortlist jury is made up of global creative professionals from around the world who judge the work online and in their own time to create the shortlist from the campaigns entered into this category. Ten of those jurors, the Awarding jury, then comes together as a group to discuss and deliberate the shortlisted work to award Bronze, Silver and Gold Lions and then the Grand Prix.

“It’s hugely exciting to welcome this formidable line-up of experts, who will unite across time zones and backgrounds, representing the full scale of our industry, said Simon Cook, Managing Director, LIONS. "Each year, our juries grow more diverse, which is part of our commitment to appoint outstanding talent from right across the breadth of our global community.”

Jury members hail from across the world and represent the global industry’s leading talent from the broadest spectrum of disciplines. The juries also comprise 51% of female jurors, up from 48% in 2019.