National CineMedia Announces 2025 US Young Lions Competition Winners

Rhea-AI Summary

National CineMedia (NASDAQ: NCMI), the largest cinema advertising platform in the US, announced the winners of the 2025 US Young Lions competition. The event saw over 500 teams register with 359 entries, marking a 10% increase in participation from 2024.

Five winning teams were selected across Digital, Film, Media, PR, and Print categories, who will represent TEAM USA at the global Young Lions competition during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June 2025. New additions to this year's competition included the Young Lions Titanium Award and the Bold Impact Award.

The competition featured a business challenge for WhyHunger, and NCM's Noovie® Studios will produce a 60-second vignette of the winners to be shown in theaters nationwide during June. The company will also host a TEAM USA Welcome Reception at the Cannes Lions Festival.

Positive

• Increased competition participation by 10% over previous year, showing growing engagement
• Expansion of award categories demonstrates program growth
• Additional theater exposure through nationwide screening of winners' vignette

Negative

• None.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- National CineMedia (NASDAQ: NCMI) (NCM), the largest cinema advertising platform in the US and the US representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, today announced the winners of the 2025 US Young Lions competition. Over 500 teams comprised of young advertising, marketing, and communications professionals registered to compete with a total of 359 competition entries, an increase of nearly 10% participation over 2024. The winning teams were named and honored by NCM on April 9 at the annual TEAM USA Winners Announcement event in New York.

The five winning teams in the Digital, Film, Media, PR, and Print categories will compete in person as TEAM USA in the global Young Lions competition at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the world’s leading celebration of creative marketing and communications. The festival will take place from June 16-20, 2025, in Cannes, France.

The 2025 competition was supported by category sponsors including Mother (Digital), Pereira O’Dell (Film), UM (Media), Weber Shandwick (PR), and Monotype (Print). New this year were the Young Lions Titanium Award, sponsored by StrawberryFrog, and the Bold Impact Award, sponsored by OMD USA.

2025 US Young Lions Winners:

• Digital: Alexandra Jones (Amazon Brand Innovation Lab); Eunie Jang (Amazon Brand Innovation Lab)
• Film: Andrew Rhee (Google); Dillon Hansen (McCann)
• Media: Morgan McAlister (Initiative); Dana Nathanson (Initiative)
• PR: Lauryn King (Weber Shandwick); June Hernandez (Weber Shandwick)
• Print: Hailey Skinner (CRISPIN​); Kendelle Cragun (CRISPIN​)
• Titanium Award: Morgan McAlister (Initiative); Dana Nathanson (Initiative)
• Bold Impact Award: Chloe Bayhack (Ogilvy New York;) Victoria Rocha (David New York)

All TEAM USA winners and their work, along with a list of 2^nd and 3^rd place awards in each category, can be found here.

“This year’s Young Lions embody the immense talents and innovative thinking that defines Gen Z, a highly coveted generation of consumers that our cinema advertising clients reach every week at the movies,” said Amy Tunick, Chief Marketing Officer at NCM. “It is our privilege to lead the annual US Young Lions competition where we identify the future leaders of the creative industry and showcase their powerful ideas to the advertising community at large. Congratulations and good luck to TEAM USA at the global competition.”

Participants were tasked with solving a business and communication challenge for this year’s nonprofit partner, WhyHunger. As the leading provider of critical resources to grassroots movements working to end hunger and poverty, support sustainable community solutions, and advocate for food justice, WhyHunger is focused on expanding its reach and influence and plans to implement new ideas from this year’s Young Lions entries into their 2025 campaign.

“Congratulations to the 2025 winners, and thank you to our reps, NCM, for helping us extend this opportunity to the US,” said Simon Cook, CEO of Lions. “This year’s winners showcase the market’s impressive creative talent, and we look forward to welcoming them to Cannes Lions this June for the 30th anniversary of the Young Lions competition.”

"New talent isn't just the future of our industry – it's the catalyst that challenges our present assumptions,” said Scott Goodson, Founder of StrawberryFrog and sponsor of the first ever Young Lions Titanium Award. “The Young Lions competition uncovers and rewards creative excellence in young minds. The agencies that will thrive tomorrow are those brave enough to invest in aspiring talent today."

Additionally, a secondary competition was available for the new Bold Impact Award sponsored by OMD USA and featuring their client, the Ad Council. This secondary brief focused on youth fentanyl awareness and naloxone education campaign and gave participants another opportunity to make it to the Cannes Lions Festival. The Bold Impact Award winners will attend on behalf of NCM and OMD, immersing in official Cannes Lions programming and capturing content on the ground from Gen Z’s perspective.

In recognition of the competition, NCM’s in-house Noovie® Studios creative team produced a 60-second vignette featuring the winners. This video will run in NCM’s network of movie theaters across the country throughout the month of June in support of TEAM USA, celebrating the 2025 winners and their creativity on the big screen before they compete on-stage in Cannes.

NCM, on behalf of the US Lions Community, will host a TEAM USA Welcome Reception on the ground at the Cannes Lions Festival at the Known Villa on Monday, June 16. For additional information about the US Lions Community, visit: https://www.ncm.com/us-lions-community.

About National CineMedia, Inc.
National CineMedia, Inc. (NCM, NASDAQ: NCMI) is the managing member and owner of approximately 100.0% of National CineMedia, LLC (NCM LLC), which is the largest cinema advertising platform in the US. With unparalleled reach and scale, NCM connects brands to sought-after young, diverse audiences through the power of movies and pop culture. A premium video, full-funnel marketing solution for advertisers, NCM enhances marketers' ability to measure and drive results. NCM’s Noovie® Show is presented exclusively in 42 leading national and regional theater circuits including the only three national chains, AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (a subsidiary of Cineworld Group PLC). NCM’s cinema advertising platform consists of more than 18,000 screens in over 1,400 theaters in 196 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.ncm.com and www.noovie.com.

About WhyHunger
Founded in 1975 by the late Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to food. In nearly five decades of innovation and evolution, our programs and our grassroots partners in 24 countries have expanded agricultural practices that are better for the planet, helped communities address the root causes of hunger, and ensured access to nutritious food for millions of people. As a grassroots support organization, we stand behind the leadership of the people most impacted by hunger and injustice. We prioritize providing resources to support the rights of communities who have been historically excluded from defining and controlling their food systems. We advocate for workers’ rights and champion agroecological food production that unites science and sustainability with Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Together we can build socially and economically just food systems that nourish all people and the environment.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250410110167/en/

Doug.serton@ncm.com

Source: National CineMedia

FAQ

What was the participation rate for NCMI's 2025 US Young Lions competition?

Over 500 teams registered with 359 competition entries, showing a nearly 10% increase in participation compared to 2024.

What new award categories were introduced in NCMI's 2025 Young Lions competition?

The Young Lions Titanium Award sponsored by StrawberryFrog and the Bold Impact Award sponsored by OMD USA were introduced as new categories.

How will NCMI promote the 2025 Young Lions winners?

NCM will showcase winners through a 60-second vignette in their theater network during June and host a TEAM USA Welcome Reception at the Cannes Lions Festival.

Which nonprofit organization partnered with NCMI for the 2025 Young Lions competition?

WhyHunger was the nonprofit partner, providing the business and communication challenge for participants.