US dominates, UK disappoints: the Cannes Lions 2019 awards broken down
This year there were 29 categories and 932 awards up for grabs at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2019.
The US dominated, swooping 70 Gold Lions and 14 Grand Prix awards.
Meanwhile, the UK's performance was mediocre in comparison to last year. It only brought home 17 golds, compared to 29 the year before; a 41% drop. It also failed to secure any Grand Prix awards.
Although the UK failed to receive a Grand Prix, the rest of Europe picked up five between them, with Sweden earning two for creative strategy and creative e-commerce.
| Country | Total | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| US | 313 | 33.6% |
| UK | 90 | 9.8% |
| Brazil | 85 | 9.1% |
| France | 60 | 6.4% |
| Germany | 32 | 3.4% |
| Spain | 28 | 3.0% |
| India | 18 | 1.9% |
| Japan | 16 | 1.7% |
| Sweden | 15 | 1.6% |
| Italy | 13 | 1.4% |
Out of a total of 932 awards, the US scooped up 313; a colossal 33.6%. The UK came in second, with 90; a 9.8% share. This was a drop from the 2018 awards when it picked up 117.
Brazil was just behind the UK, picking up 85 awards. Next up was France, which grabbed 60 awards, and Germany with 32.
| Gold Lions wins | Total |
|---|---|
| US | 70 |
| UK | 17 |
| Brazil | 8 |
| France | 8 |
| Spain | 4 |
| China | 3 |
| Canada | 3 |
| Israel | 3 |
| Sweden | 3 |
| Australia | 3 |
Gold Lion wins were also dominated by the US, which took home 70. Burger King's 'Whopper Detour,' Nike's 'Dream Crazy,' and Microsoft's 'Changing the Game' were among the most awarded campaigns.
The UK gained 17 with Libresse's 'Viva La Vulva' campaign by AMV BBDO winning four Gold Lions, making it the most awarded campaign.
Brazil won eight Gold Lions, tieing with France, followed by Spain. China, Canada, Israel, Sweden and Australia all won 3.
Of 26 Grand Prix's, the US won 14. Burger King's 'Whopper Detour' from FCB New York picked up three; Design, Direct Mobile and Titanium.
12 years after winning its last Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for 'Xbox King Games' Burger King came out top, for FCB New York's ingenious stunt that sparked 1.5 million downloads of the Burger King App.
Nike, 'Dream Crazy' from Wieden + Kennedy Portland picked up two Grand Prix's; Outdoor and Entertainment: Sport, proving the risk paid off. The New York Times, 'The Truth Is Worth It' from Droga5 also won two awards.
Following the US, Brazil and Sweden both won two Grand Prix awards a piece.
FCB, creator of the Burger King 'Whopper Detour' which won the top prize, also won the most Gold Lions, bringing in 22 to add to its three Grand Prix wins.
| Agency | Total Gold Lions |
|---|---|
| FCB | 22 |
| DDB | 15 |
| TBWA | 12 |
| McCann | 12 |
| Wieden + Kennedy | 11 |
| AMV/BBDO | 7 |
| VMLY&R | 7 |
Globally, DDB came in second, with 70 combined Lions. It got awarded one Titanium, 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze, spanning 10 categories.
TBWA won a total of 65 lions across 19 categories, representing more than 15 different TBWA offices. It got awarded 12 golds and 25 silver.
TBWA\New York delivered its best performance in 20 years with 18 Lions.