Australia’s brightest young creative, media and marketing talent are one step closer to representing their country on a world stage after News Corp Australia named the shortlisted finalists of the 2015 Australian Cannes Young Lions competition.
A total of eight panels of industry judges across Australia have determined the finalists from over 400 entrants who will now go onto the second round of the competition. Shortlisted finalists in marketing, media, print and digital categories will receive a 24-hour brief with a 48-hour brief for film, all emulating the international competition format in Cannes.
News Corp Australia’s director national sales Sharb Farjami said: “News Corp has been running this competition for seven years and it’s encouraging to see the huge appetite the industry has for it.
“In that time, it has only gotten stronger and the next round of the competition will be fiercely contested with 10 spots up for grabs for the most talented creative and advertising professionals to attend the most reputable creative festival in the world. Runner-up teams in media and print will get the opportunity to represent Australia at the Young Spikes Asia Competition in Singapore in September. I wish all finalists the very best of luck.”
The second round of the competition will commence on 19 May with winners being announced at a breakfast event on Friday 29 May 2014.
The winning teams in the final round will receive return flights to Nice in France, accommodation and festival registration with access to all the seminars, awards ceremonies, showcases and the beach gala party.
The 2015 Cannes Young Lions Finalists are:
| Category | Finalists | Agency/ies |
| Digital | Nicole Conway & Tim Batterham | Lowe Profero |
| Ellen Fromm & Isabella Caruso | GPY&R Melbourne | |
| Emma Borland & Lucy Downs | DT | |
| Nicole Hedemann & Robert Mead | Razorfish | |
| Katie Moore & Courtney Print | Host | |
| Alex Little & Karsten Jurkschat | AJF Partnership Melbourne & Ogilvy Melbourne | |
| Michael Birchall & Mark Starmach | Edelman | |
| Emil Cholich & Matt Nankivell | Meerkats | |
| Sam Dickson & Cam Bell | DT | |
| Film | Chris Hanrahan & Jordy Molloy | DDB Melbourne |
| Jack Nunn & Charlie Gearside | Special Group Sydney | |
| Giles Clayton & Simon Hayes | JWT Sydney | |
| Tom Vizard & Jackson Harper | Cummins & Partners and Clemenger BBDO | |
| Sam Grant & Fee Millist | BWM Sydney | |
| Anna Paine & Owen Bryson | DDB Sydney | |
| Michael Birchall & Mark Starmach | Edelman | |
| Media – NSW | Tim Hull | MediaCom |
| Chris Colter | UM | |
| Jack Smyth | Slingshot | |
| Elliott Eldridge | Initiative | |
| Queenie Ling | MEC | |
| Max Broer | Match Media | |
| Media – VIC | Madeline Leigh | Mitchell & Partners |
| Alex Brezzi | Carat | |
| Jeremy Gavin | OMD | |
| Clementine West | Mindshare | |
| Annie Ryan | Mindshare | |
| Rebecca Russo | MediaCom | |
| Media – WA | Louise Crawford | Initiative |
| Alexandria Atherley | Initiative | |
| Media – QLD | Ashden Walker | Carat |
| Roisin Rafferty | UM | |
| Nelson DeMartini | UM | |
| Lauren Kenny | ZenithOptimedia | |
| Harry Neville & Carl Edwards | BMF & InMobi | |
| Chris Hanrahan & Jordy Molloy | DDB Melbourne | |
| Michael Birchall & Mark Starmach | Edelman | |
| Nikki Sulentic & Jack Wall | McCann Sydney | |
| James Crawley & Jane Burhop | Common Vultures | |
| Megan Riley & Wilora Keeley | Marketforce & JWT Perth | |
| Chris Andrawes & Tyson Knowles | Longtail | |
| Alex Massey & Lucy Turnbull | TBWA/Media Arts Lab | |
| Simon Gibson & Dan White | Clemenger BBDO | |
| Scott Pritchett & Dan Robinson | 303Lowe | |
| Young Marketer | Jemma Wong | The Australian Ballet |
| Joanna Lawrence | Freedom Australia | |
| Nathan Kwok | Commonwealth Bank | |
| Emma Fry | Southern Cross Austereo |
