Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services and health, is Cannes Lions 2026 Entertainment Person of the Year. Cue will be honored for his work across Apple’s entertainment ecosystem and deliver a keynote seminar on June 22, the first day of the festival.
Cue has been instrumental in building Apple’s suite of entertainment products. In his role, he oversees Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, Apple Pay, Apple News, Fitness+, Apple Card, Apple Maps and iCloud as well as Apple’s productivity and creativity apps. Of those many offerings, the evolution of Apple TV has been the most impressive.
Though the streaming offering launched just six years ago, Apple TV has since become a behemoth in Hollywood and stands as one of the industry’s most award-winning streaming services. The streamer is home to such massive cultural and critical hits as “Pluribus,” “Severance,” “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso.” These shows have set several records within the entertainment industry. “The Studio” became the most-awarded freshman comedy series of all time, and last year “Severance” won the most Emmys of any drama series. On the film side, the Oscar-winning blockbuster “F1” shattered records to become the highest-grossing sports film of all time.
The Cannes Lions Entertainment Person of the Year Award recognizes the vital role entertainment plays in the world of marketing and communications and honors the leaders at the intersection of these industries.
“Eddy Cue has consistently pushed the boundaries of entertainment and storytelling, building platforms and experiences that have redefined how audiences engage with culture,” Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said. “Under his leadership, Apple has not only produced world-class content but has also shaped the future of entertainment through innovation, creativity and an unwavering commitment to quality. We’re delighted to honour Eddy as our 2026 Entertainment Person of the Year.”
Cue will deliver a keynote seminar for the festival on June 22 on the Lumière Theatre stage. He will be joined by iconic producer Jerry Bruckheimer before he collects the award during that evening’s Cannes Lions Awards Show.
Last year, Apple was named Cannes Lions’ Creative Marketer of the Year, an honor that recognizes marketers that have built a body of Lion-winning work over a sustained period of time. Apple was also recently named by Time as one of the world’s most influential entertainment companies. The company has secured more than 800 award wins and more than 3500 nominations to date. Apple Music, which is also overseen by Cue, recently hit all-time highs when accounting for listenership and new subscribers.
