AB InBev wins Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year – again
AB InBev has been named Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year for 2026, becoming the first company in the festival’s history to receive the honour three times.
The announcement was made by Cannes Lions CEO Simon Cook ahead of this year’s festival, which runs 22 to 26 June in Cannes.
The accolade recognises marketers that have built a sustained body of Lion-winning work over time.
AB InBev won 37 Lions at last year’s festival alone, with awarded work spanning 10 countries across 15 different Lion categories.
The global brewer has spent the last five years treating creativity as a measurable commercial lever rather than a marketing cost — a shift that has contributed to all-time high revenues and increased beer volumes in its Q1 2026 results. Its portfolio includes 20 brands generating over one billion dollars each.
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, says: “AB InBev has embedded creativity into how it operates, not just how it leverages marketing, and it is consistently outperforming as a result.”
Marcel Marcondes, Global CMO at AB InBev, adds: “To be named Creative Marketer of the Year for the third time in the last five years reflects our consistent and sustainable approach to building brands people love.”
AB InBev will open the 2026 Cannes Lions programme with a keynote on 22 June.
