Canada leaves Cannes with more than medals.

Yes, the country finished the week with 45 Lions (including two shared) and two Grand Prix, but the numbers tell a much bigger story than the awards table alone.

For one thing, Canadian agencies are no longer simply collecting category wins – once again, they’re taking home the festival’s highest honours.

While Canada’s creative industry delivered a remarkable performance last year, ranking #5 globally with 27 medals and 5 co-wins, including 4 Gold Lions, 2026 more than met some high expectations.

This year, TBWA\Canada captured the Innovation Grand Prix for Adidas’s “Supernova Adaptive,” while Rethink earned the Print & Publishing Grand Prix for Heinz’s “Look Familiar?” Together, the wins reinforced Canada’s ability to produce work that isn’t just creatively excellent, but capable of setting the global agenda. (Let’s not forget the third Grand Prix that should have been in Media: Kids Help Phone’s “Defining Help” from McCann Canada … )

Then there was the continued rise of Rethink. The agency finished the week with one Grand Prix, three Gold, two Silver and eight Bronze Lions, while becoming the first agency in Cannes history to finish among the festival’s top three Independent Networks for six consecutive years.

But perhaps the most encouraging story is the breadth of Canada’s success.

Sixteen agencies found their way to the stage this year, with honours spread across nearly every major discipline, from Innovation, Design and Outdoor to Media, PR, Health & Wellness, Pharma and Creative Commerce.

Yes, we were shut out in some categories, but that feels more like a challenge than a rebuke. We’ll be back.

McCann Canada continued its strong run with Kids Help Phone’s “Defining Help.” Courage delivered another standout year with KFC and Kit Kat. Gut Toronto, Klick Health, Ogilvy, Publicis Canada, Tank Worldwide, Dentsu, Edelman, Scouts Honour and others all added to Canada’s tally – including The Local Collective. (All 14 of them.) Winners in Cannes.

The diversity of the lineup mirrors the diversity of the work itself. Some campaigns solved everyday problems with deceptively simple ideas. Others tackled accessibility, mental health and public health. Others still demonstrated the enduring power of distinctive brand assets through clients like Heinz, IKEA and Tim Hortons.

For years, Canadian agencies have been described as punching above their weight. After another Cannes defined by a pair of Grand Prix awards, remarkable agency performances and winners representing throughout the festival, that explanation is beginning to feel outdated.

This is no longer a surprise. It’s becoming the standard.

Lions (45, including two shared):

• Audio & Radio: 1 Gold
  Brand Experience & Activation: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze
  Creative Commerce: 1 Bronze
  Creative Effectiveness: 1 Bronze
  Creative Strategy: 1 Silver
  Design: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze
  Direct: 1 Gold, 1 Silver
  Entertainment for Music: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
  Entertainment for Sport: 2 Silver, 1 Bronze
  Film Craft: 1 Silver
  Health & Wellness: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze
  Innovation: 1 Grand Prix
  Media: 2 Gold*, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze (*including 1 shared)
  Outdoor: 1 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze
  Pharma: 1 Bronze
  PR: 1 Silver, 3 Bronze
  Print & Publishing: 1 Grand Prix, 1 Silver

Agencies:

• Courage: 1 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze
  Dentsu: 1 Bronze
  Edelman: 1 Bronze
  Epitaph Group: 1 Gold (shared with McCann Canada on “Defining Help”)
  Fela Toronto: 1 Bronze
  Gut: 4 Silver, 1 Bronze
  Klick Health: 2 Silver, Healthcare Agency of the Year, Healthcare Network of the Year
  McCann Canada: 2 Gold, 2 Silver (including 1 Gold shared with Epitaph Group)
  No Fixed Address: 1 Silver
  Ogilvy: 2 Bronze
  Publicis Canada: 1 Silver
  Rethink: 1 Grand Prix, 3 Gold, 2 Silver, 8 Bronze, Independent Agency of the Year , Independent Network of the Year
  Scouts Honour: 1 Silver
  Tank Worldwide: 1 Bronze
  TBWA\Canada: 1 Grand Prix, 2 Gold, 1 Silver
  The Local Collective: 1 Bronze