Eddy Cue named 2026 Cannes Lions Entertainment Person of the Year

Apple SVP of Services and Health Eddy Cue has been chosen as this year’s recipient of the Entertainment Person of the Year Award, which will be presented next month at the Cannes Lions festival. Here are the details.

’Cue has been instrumental in building Apple’s globally influential entertainment ecosystem’

Every year, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity recognizes the best creative work, advertising campaigns, and talent from across the global marketing and communications industry.

Apple is no stranger to the festival, having received some of its top honors over the years, including Creative Marketer of the Year in 2019 and 2025, as well as recognitions for campaigns such as “Shot on iPhone,” “Welcome Home,” and “Relax, it’s iPhone.”

This year, the festival will take place from June 22 through June 26, with the first shortlists expected to be published on June 20.

And while Apple will likely be in the running for campaign awards, one Cannes Lions honor is already confirmed: Eddy Cue has been named the festival’s 2026 Entertainment Person of the Year.

According to Cannes Lions, Cue has been “shaping the future of entertainment through groundbreaking storytelling and innovation,” which is why he’ll be presented with the award that “acknowledges the creativity that inspires others to produce truly compelling, meaningful, and entertaining content.”

From Cannes Lions:

Cue has been instrumental in building Apple’s globally influential entertainment ecosystem, overseeing Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, Apple Pay, Apple News, Fitness+, Apple Card, Apple Maps, iCloud, as well as Apple’s productivity and creativity apps.

Under Cue’s leadership, Apple TV, which launched just over six years ago as a wholly original streaming platform, has become one of the industry’s most award-winning and culture-defining services. For five consecutive years, it has held the top position for the highest critically rated slate of original programming among all streaming services.

And here’s Simon Cook, Cannes Lions CEO:

Eddy Cue has consistently pushed the boundaries of entertainment and storytelling, building platforms and experiences that have redefined how audiences engage with culture. Under his leadership, Apple has not only produced world-class content but has also shaped the future of entertainment through innovation, creativity and an unwavering commitment to quality. We’re delighted to honour Eddy as our 2026 Entertainment Person of the Year.

In addition to receiving the award, Cue will also deliver a keynote seminar on June 22, although there are no details on Cannes Lions’ website, other than the fact that he’ll be joined by Jerry Bruckheimer, who recently produced ‘F1 The Movie‘ for Apple TV.

Apple TV is available for $12.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Severance, The Studio, The Morning Show, Shrinking and Silo.

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