DUBAI: Dubai Lynx, a prominent creative festival and awards program organized by Cannes Lions, has announced the jury presidents for the 2025 awards.

They will gather in Dubai early next year, along with the jury panelists, to judge the entries. The deadline for entries is Jan. 23 and winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on April 9.

Jury presidents 鈥減lay a pivotal role鈥� in upholding the festival鈥檚 values of creativity and innovation 鈥渂ringing their unparalleled expertise and unique perspectives to the judging process,鈥� said Dubai Lynx chairman Philip Thomas.

They come from creative and advertising agencies in different markets including the UK, US, India, Australia and Germany.

The jury presidents for the 2025 edition include Chris Beresford-Hill, global chief creative officer of BBDO; Ryan McManus, chief creative officer of VML UK; Chioma Aduba, president of Droga5 New York; Mayuri Nikumbh, head of design at Conran Design Mumbai, India; Mihnea Gheorghiu, global chief creative officer of LePub; and Neo Mashigo, chief creative officer of The Up&Up Group, South Africa.

The others are Matt Murphy, global chief creative officer of 72andSunny; Aisha Blackwell, head of production services, Serviceplan MAKE Germany; Roberta Raduan, managing director, Klick Health, Latin America; Fiona Johnston, CEO of media, client and commercial at dentsu Australia; and Vanessa Ho Nikolovski, chief client and growth officer for Asia Pacific at Weber Shandwick.

The festival recently announced changes to its structure 鈥渄esigned to support the evolution of the industry across the Middle East and North Africa,鈥� said Kamille Marchant, director of Dubai Lynx.

One change is the introduction of a mandatory requirement to provide cultural context when submitting an entry.

鈥淭his is something that we鈥檝e seen play an increasingly important role in the jury rooms,鈥� Marchant told Arab News.

鈥淭he question is designed to help the jury understand the cultural nuances, but also how the brand connects with this particular cultural insight and why it鈥檚 relevant at that particular moment in time,鈥� she explained.

Additionally, instead of hosting one event a year, the festival will feature a year-round program offering 鈥渕ore intimate, focused, and high-impact experiences that cater to our community鈥檚 needs year-round,鈥� Marchant said.

Based on roundtable discussions at Dubai Lynx 2024, the festival team has identified key areas that will inform the topics of upcoming meetups, C-suite roundtables, brand breakfasts and talent and training programs hosted by the festival.

鈥淥ur audience is looking for more than just a standalone event; they want opportunities to engage, learn, and celebrate throughout the year,鈥� Marchant said.

The 2025 Dubai Lynx awards will also see changes to some categories such as the evolution of the Digital Lynx category to the Digital Craft Lynx.

This change is meant to celebrate 鈥渢echnological artistry鈥� and reflects 鈥渢he rapid shifts in the digital landscape, where groundbreaking ideas are infused with high-level craft to create impactful and immersive experiences across a growing range of digital platforms,鈥� Marchant explained.

Other changes include an update to the Audio & Radio category to reflect the expansion of audio work beyond radio.

There will also be tweaks to the PR Lynx category to accurately reflect the current PR industry 鈥渘ot only in amplifying brand and campaign messages, but also in managing perceptions and connecting brands with culture,鈥� she added.

Dubai Lynx has also introduced a Use of Humor sub-category in the Culture & Context category in response to feedback from the industry 鈥渨ho wanted us to create space for work that uses humor to engage audiences to be championed,鈥� Marchant said.

鈥淥ver the past couple of years there has been a shift in (the) tone of the work that has been winning 鈥� with a lot more irreverence and playfulness 鈥� so the timing felt right to create a category where this kind of work can compete,鈥� she added.

Lastly, new sub-categories have been added to the Social & Influencer category to 鈥渞ecognize the increasingly significant role creators play in shaping and amplifying brand messages,鈥� Marchant said.

The changes to the awards are a result of industry collaboration. Dubai Lynx has an awards research and development team that speaks to experts across industries and countries to gather their input on 鈥渢he current state of play while also previewing the future direction of the industry,鈥� she added.