Published on: July 1, 2026
Dentsu’s global media network, Carat, has been recognised as Media Network of the Year at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, following an impressive performance in the Media Lions category.
The prestigious accolade highlights Carat’s ability to create impactful media solutions by combining creativity, technology, data, and human insight to deliver meaningful results for clients across global markets.
At this year’s festival, Carat earned:
The recognition reflects the work of Carat’s global network of more than 12,000 specialists operating across over 100 countries, delivering innovative campaigns built around strong client collaboration and audience understanding.
Among the standout campaigns contributing to the achievement were Could Have Been a Heineken, which secured two Gold Lions, and Dark Mode Ads for Plenitude, which also received a Gold Lion.
Commenting on the achievement, Will Swayne, Global Practice President, Media & Integrated Solutions, dentsu, said:
“This recognition is a powerful validation of what Carat does best – bringing together creativity, data and technology to deliver the most impactful outcomes for clients. Behind each shortlist, and every Lions award won this year, is a client challenge, a team obsessed with solving it, and work designed to make a difference.
At a time when our industry is being reshaped by AI, algorithms and fragmented attention, being named Media Network of the Year is evidence of what’s possible when exceptional talent, deep human understanding, market-leading agentic capabilities and trusted partnerships come together. I’m incredibly proud and grateful to our teams and our clients around the world. This award belongs to all of them.”
