How it works
Since launching nearly two decades ago, Canada’s Young Lions have built an impressive global record, earning 18 medals to date – 4 Gold, 6 Silver, and 8 Bronze across categories including Print, Digital, Marketers, Design, Media, and Film.
In 2025, Canada placed 3rd worldwide, continuing a strong track record on the international stage. Proudly hosted by The Globe and Mail since 2007 for Print, Digital, and Film, since 2008 for Media, since 2012 for Marketers, and since 2025 for Public Relations and Design, the Young Lions competitions continue to shine on the Canadian stage.
See the Canadian winners’ gallery here.
Competition Details
In teams of two, competitors have a 24 hour* window to answer a brief of a selected not-for-profit. The briefs will be released on February 28th, 2026 at 9am EST and closed 24 hours later. Late entries are disqualified with NO EXCEPTIONS (leave enough time for submission and file uploads.)
*Film Category Competitors are given 48 hours.
The winners in all categories will be announced at a winners event held in Toronto, and Gold winners will be sent to the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity to compete in France in the global Young Lions competitions.
For all dates, details and deadlines click here.
Past Winners
Since launching nearly two decades ago, Canada’s Young Lions have built an impressive global record, earning 18 medals to date – 4 Gold, 6 Silver, and 8 Bronze across categories including Print, Digital, Marketers, Design, Media, and Film.
In 2025, Canada placed 3rd worldwide, continuing a strong track record on the international stage. Proudly hosted by The Globe and Mail since 2007 for Print, Digital, and Film, since 2008 for Media, since 2012 for Marketers, and since 2025 for Public Relations and Design, the Young Lions competitions continue to shine on the Canadian stage.
See the Canadian winners’ gallery here.
Jury
An esteemed panel of industry leaders and experts will pore over an expected 375+ submissions from the 2026 Young Lions Competition to determine the best work from Canada’s top young talent in the media, creative and marketing industries.
Click here to see the full list of jury members for each category.
Faqs
Where can I find logo files and brand guidelines for the charity?
You can download the “Competition Assets” folder on the Competition page, which includes the logo in .JPEG, .PNG, and .EPS format, along with a design considerations document.
How firm are the parameters of the brief? E.g. Can I go over the text limit?
We do not recommend this. The parameters are in place for a reason and the judges may not consider submissions that go against the client ask.
What type of images or sounds can I use in my submission?
Free and royalty free images and sounds.
For film submissions, can I use pre-recorded footage?
No, you must create original footage.
I missed the deadline to submit. Can I just email it?
No. Each team is required to submit through the official Entry Submission Form. Late entries and entries submitted through other channels will not be accepted.
Can I switch categories during the competition?
No. All entrants must compete in the category in which they have registered. Any submissions to the categories in which the entrant has not registered will be disqualified.
Does each team member need to submit the entry?
No. Each team will submit one entry to the Entry Submission Form.
Something has come up and I won’t be able to complete the submission. Can I get a refund?
Unfortunately, the registration fee is non-refundable. We cannot honour refunds after the competition has started.
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