Oprah Winfrey will receive the 2026 Cannes LionHeart Award at the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France. The festival runs from June 22 to 26. The LionHeart Award recognizes individuals who have used their platform to drive meaningful change beyond the boundaries of commercial work.

Cannes Lions is the largest gathering in the global creative marketing industry, drawing more than 20,000 attendees from over 90 countries each year. Previous LionHeart recipients include figures who have shaped culture, philanthropy, and public communication at a global level.

The festival has released its first award shortlists, covering the Dan Wieden Titanium Lions, the Glass Lion for Change, and the Innovation Lions. Additional shortlists will be published between June 20 and 24, with winners announced during the awards ceremonies throughout the week.

This year’s program is built around six content streams: Insights and Trends, Innovation Unwrapped, Creativity Toolbox, and three others covering technology, sustainability, and culture. New initiatives called LIONS Sport and LIONS Creators are launching at this edition of the festival.

Approximately 20,000 works were submitted for judging this year across categories including film, print, digital, media, and brand experience. International juries evaluate each category, and the highest honor across all categories is the Grand Prix.

The advertising industry has faced significant disruption from AI tools over the past two years. Several major campaigns shortlisted this year involve AI-generated elements, and the use of artificial intelligence in creative work is expected to be a central theme of panel discussions throughout the week.

Oprah Winfrey’s media career spans more than four decades. Her production company, Harpo Productions, has been behind films, books, and television programming with global reach. She has also become one of the most recognized names in philanthropy and education globally.

The Cannes Lions festival has named notable honorees in prior years including Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, and Elton John. The LionHeart is awarded outside the competitive judging process and reflects the festival’s broader cultural interests.

According to the official Cannes Lions website, the full schedule and speaker lineup has been released. The festival closes with a live wrap-up event where industry trends from the week are discussed and summarized for global attendees.