Anyone who’s ever entered creative work into an award show has at some point witnessed questionable submissions and practices.

The 2025 Cannes Lions awards were apparently no exception.

According to Adweek, “Cannes Lions is introducing new global integrity standards following a wave of scrutiny over manipulated case studies and unverifiable claims that cast a shadow over the 2025 festival.”

With the prevalence of AI usage, some agencies have submitted and even aired client-approved work containing AI-manipulated images.

There are also ongoing discussions about the accuracy of reported case study results.

Case study details are usually subject to client confidentiality agreements, competitive secrecy, and review by clients and its legal teams. However, this process does not always occur.

The new 2026 Cannes Lions rules are built around 5 pillars that include veracity of claims, consequences for misrepresentation, and publishing of an annual integrity audit report.

Additionally, Cannes Lions plans to publish an AI Integrity Handbook based on guidelines from the OECD and UNESCO.