SDEK calls for participation in Young Lions Cyprus 2026 competition

The Cyprus Advertising and Communication Association (SDEK), the official representative of Cannes Lions in Cyprus, has begun preparing for the Young Lions Cyprus 2026 competition, offering young professionals up to the age of 30 the opportunity to participate in one of the most prestigious international competitions in the field of advertising, held each June in Cannes.

The Press and Information Office is once again acting as co-organiser of Young Lions Cyprus, while Cyta is the Gold Partner of this year’s event.

Today, the art of communication requires both the heart of a lion and the mind of a chameleon: the ability to adapt to different forms, depending on the medium and strategy, without losing courage.

The Cannes Young Lions Competition represents a premier meeting point for emerging communication professionals, offering them the opportunity to showcase their creativity and talent on a global stage and to gain invaluable experience, both through their participation in the competition and by attending the Festival.

Young Lions Cyprus 2026 will select the teams that will represent Cyprus in the international competition in the categories of Design, Digital, Film and PR.

The Organising Committee of Young Lions Cyprus 2026 is comprised of leading professionals from the advertising industry.

Young Lions Cyprus 2026 Chair

• Anastasia Grouta, Head of Media, Gnomi Group and Managing Director, Hub&Spoke

Organising Committee

• Areti Anastasiades, Group Chief Operating Officer, Telia & Pavla BBDO
• Andrea Hadjivassiliou, Chief Operating Officer, Partners Connected Communications
• Nikolas Zannetos, Head of PR and Events, Redwolf Ogilvy
• Christiana Paschalidou, Coordinator, Director of the Advertising Control Authority

Anastasia Grouta, Chair of the Organising Committee, stated: “I would like to invite the young people of Cyprus to take part in this institution, not only to compete, but to experience something that can open new pathways. Young Lions is an opportunity to demonstrate just how creative our island can be, to prove that a small market can hold great talent, to represent Cyprus on one of the world’s most important creative stages and to make the most of the opportunity you are given. It is also a growth experience: to spread your wings, collaborate, create and test your ideas in real conditions. To meet, at first hand, individuals who have shaped the advertising industry and to understand how this art form evolves just as dynamically as you do.”

Submit your participation in the competition that offers you the opportunity to represent Cyprus at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and enjoy a truly life-changing experience by Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 3pm, via https://younglions.cy/

Contact details:

• Website: https://younglions.cy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/younglionscy
• Instagram: @younglionscy

Organiser: Cyprus Advertising and Communication Association (SDEK)

About SDEK

SDEK has been the official body representing advertising and communication companies since 1982 and has represented Cyprus in the European Association of Communications Agencies since 1990. It is a founding member of the Television Audience Measurement Control Committee and the Advertising Control Authority. Since 2019, it has organised the Carob Awards, the largest advertising and communication awards event in Cyprus, while in 2022 it undertook the representation of Cannes Lions in Cyprus.