Registrations now open for 2024 Aotearoa Young Lions Competition; deadline 12pm Wed 6 March

Following the successful re-launch of the Young Lions Competition last year, the Commercial Communications Council has announced the competition’s return for its second consecutive year, now open for registration to teams of two. The deadline to enter the competition is Wednesday 6 March 12pm.

The 2023 competition attracted 142 participants organised into 72 teams, competing across two categories for the opportunity to represent Aotearoa at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, in France – arguably the greatest prize in our industry. Building on the previous year’s success, Stuff has renewed its sponsorship for the Media Category.

Says Andrew Reinholds, director of Harakeke, Stuff: “As the media landscape continues to fragment and audience attention becomes harder to earn, the role of creative media thinking continues to become even more important than ever. Stuff is delighted to again sponsor this year’s Media category to both encourage and celebrate our best up and coming media talent.”

New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) has come on board to sponsor the digital category this year.

Says Carolyn Luey, chief digital and publishing officer at NZME: “With a strong focus on digital excellence and as New Zealand’s largest multi-media company, NZME is proud to support the digital category in the Aotearoa Young Lions Competition. The award is all about recognising emerging industry talent who demonstrate excellence in digital creativity and innovation, which is a natural fit for NZME to be supporting as a digital-led business. We’re really looking forward to seeing some fantastic entries come through in the coming weeks.”

The Young Lions Competition offers a chance for emerging professionals to represent Aotearoa at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity where they will compete against international counterparts. Young Lions Global Competition entrants will undergo a local competition in one of the two categories, mimicking the structure of the official festival in Cannes. Following the receipt of a brief, teams will have 48 hours to submit their responses, which will be judged by industry experts in each respective field.

Says Simon Lendrum, CEO, Comms Council: “The Young Lions is the best competition for young creatives bar none. The opportunity to win a trip to compete in Cannes is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Not only do the winners get the chance to get global recognition, but they also get a festival pass to hear from the best speakers in the world.”

Registrations are now open for teams to enter. To be eligible to enter both team members must be 30 or under, born on or after 21 June 1993.

The deadline to enter the competition is Wednesday 6 March 12pm. To enter, please go to commscouncil.nz/younglions

Young Lions Competition Schedule

●               25th January – Registrations Open

●               7th March – Briefings

●               7th-9th March – Competition

●               11th April – Winners Announced at AXIS Speaks