Cannes Lions has announced that American filmmaker, screenwriter, actor and producer, Spike Lee, will be presented with the inaugural Creative Maker of the Year at this year’s International Festival of Creativity.
The award, supported by Black At Cannes, honours multi-Lion award winner Spike Lee whose work has left an indelible mark on filmmaking, television and the creative industry.
He has also founded his own creative agency, Spike DDB, with a mission to help brands change the world by keeping pace with culture.
“I’m honoured to accept the inaugural Cannes Lions Creative Maker of the Year award for my contributions to the advertising industry, but a reminder: ‘We keep having these obstacles, these hurdles, we have to face and we have to keep knocking them down.’ I said this in 1997 and still say it today,” said Lee.
He will also speak at the Festival in a fireside chat with filmmaker and director, Barry Alexander Brown, on Friday 23 June.
“Tthis award will honour creative makers, from any discipline who are inspirational beacons for our whole community,” said Simon Cook, CEO of Lions.
“In our 70th year, it seems appropriate that the inaugural Creative Maker award should go to a director. It’s a huge honour to present Spike Lee, one of the most influential figures in contemporary cinema and culture, with this accolade live at the Festival. Spike embodies the spirit of this award as a maker that strives to make creative stories and show the world what they can only see in their imaginations.”
Lee’s career spans more than 30 years and has seen him receive five Oscar nominations for Do The Right Thing and 4 Little Girls. His film BlacKkKlansman won Best Adapted Screenplay in 2018. was also awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2015 for his lifetime achievement and contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences.
“Lee is a creative role model who has paved the way for so many black creatives. The Creative Maker of the Year award inspires us to continue spearheading the creation of pathways for diverse voices and promoting inclusion and equity across the global creative industry. We applaud the partnership,” said Peter O Ukhurebor, founder of Black At Cannes.
Lead image credit: Georges Biard
