Ireland has taken some of the top awards at the 2026 Cannes Lions, including a prestigious award for under-30s.
TBWA\Ireland junior art director Hannah Murphy and junior copywriter Kate Dempsey were awarded gold in the 2026 Cannes Young Lions Print competition.
The duo took the top spot in the under-30s competitions with their campaign titled A Guide to the Signs.
As part of the competition, young creatives are given 24 hours to develop a unique print ad, with this year’s brief focusing on water safety. Provided by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, the brief asked the competitors to change how people recognise danger around water.
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More than 400 competitors took part in the Young Lions, which spans seven categories. Entries are examined by international jurors.
“Iapi’s Young Lions programme plays a pivotal role in helping young industry professionals achieve their full potential,” said Siobhán Masterson, chief executive of Iapi. “We are delighted to see our investment in nurturing talent delivering results on a global stage. This success reflects the renewed energy and strategic focus we’ve brought to the Young Lions programme, and it caps off an outstanding week for Irish business at the awards.”
The news follows Publicis Dublin’s Grand Prix win at the Cannes Lions event on Thursday, the third time Ireland has won the award. The agency scooped the top prize for the creative strategy behind its Heineken Ireland campaign, The Pub That Refused To Die.
The agency also took home four bronze awards.
