Dive Brief:

• The judges panel for Cannes Lions International Festival will be 31.5% women this year—up from 28.5% last year. 
• Three countries will see judges on the panel for the first time this year: Ecuador, Czech Republic, and Indonesia. 
• The awards ceremony is looking to increase diversity in judges after criticism from organizations like the ADC, and has relaxed the general rule requiring the judges be previous winners. 

Dive Insight: 

Lopsided leadership in the ad world has long been a problem, so many see the Cannes Lions response to criticism and effort to have a more diverse panel as refreshing. The rationale is that more diverse judges will help to highlight a more diverse cast of award winners overall.