Sri Lankan contingent in France for Cannes Young Lions

Ogilvy Sri Lanka team representing the country at Cannes Young Lions 2026  

• Ogilvy fields largest-ever team to represent country at global creative competition 

Eight creative talent representing Sri Lanka will take part in the coveted Young Lions Competition in Cannes, France, on June 22.

Out of the national team, six mem0bers are from Ogilvy Group Sri Lanka, recording the largest contingent ever fielded by a single agency in the country for the competition.  

The Young Lions Competition in Cannes is globally regarded as a proving ground for creative talent under the age of 30. It brings together national winners from around the world to compete in the PR, Media, Digital, Film, Print and Design Categories. Here, the Sri Lankan cohort will go head-to-head with the world’s top young creative minds in one of the most intense and high-pressure competitions in the global creative industry. 

A cross-disciplinary mix will represent the country at this year’s Young Lions Competition in France. Ogilvy’s Sachintha Gunawardena and Hasith Dilakshana will compete in the Media Category, Azraa Saldin and Nirmala Premachandra will represent the country in the PR Category and Afridi Hussain and Maveena Manickam will vie for top honours in the Film Category. Their place on the global stage follows wins in the Media, PR and Film Categories at the Young Lions Sri Lanka Competition held in April. 

At the competition, the teams are given a real-world brief from a non-profit or purpose-led organisation, often centred on a pressing social or environmental challenge. With just 24 hours to respond, they are required to develop a fully-fledged campaign at speed. 

Teams competing in the Media Category must develop an insight-led strategy that demonstrates effective use of channels to drive engagement. In PR, the focus shifts to crafting a compelling narrative and campaign idea capable of influencing perception and action. In Film, teams are required to produce an original 60-second film that meets the brief. 

The teams will work from the dedicated Young Lions Competition Hub at the Cannes Lions School, an immersive space designed to stimulate ideas and creative thinking. Once complete, the campaigns are presented to the Young Lions Jury, comprising senior creatives from leading global agencies and organisations. 

Held alongside the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the world’s foremost gathering for the creative communications industry, the Young Lions Competition immerses participants in a global arena defined by award-winning work, industry-defining ideas and leading creative voices from around the world. 

In the lead-up to Cannes, the Sri Lankan contingent has been undergoing intensive preparation, supported by senior mentors across Ogilvy Group Sri Lanka, together with Metal Factor, the local representative of the Young Lions Competition.