Spotify at Cannes Lions 2025: The Week’s Unmissable Highlights, Star Power, and More
Last week, Spotify returned to the Croisette for our 11th year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—bringing together artists, creators, brands, and fans for three days of inspiring conversations, unforgettable performances, and bold ideas at Spotify Beach.
Spotify’s Cannes Lions highlights
This year, Spotify was recognized across several categories at Cannes Lions, reflecting our commitment to creativity and innovation. Highlights include:
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- Gold Lion for Design-Driven Effectiveness for the Spreadbeats campaign in partnership with FCB New York.
- Silver Lion for Digital Design for Spreadbeats in partnership with FCB New York.
- Bronze Lion in Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility for the Sounds Right campaign in partnership with United Nations and AKQA.
- Shortlisted for Excellence in Craft for the Do You Speak Anitta? campaign.
- Shortlisted for Consumer Services/Business to Business and Innovation in Branded Content & Social Behavior for Spreadbeats.
- Shortlisted for Fan Engagement & Community Building for the Singing in Your Inglish campaign.
- Shortlisted for Rebrand/Refresh of an Existing Brand for Spotify Italy’s Bloombeats in partnership with Dentsu Creative.
- Shortlisted for Design for Behavioural Change for Spotify Japan’s Pride Code in partnership with TBWA\HAKUHODO.
Spotify Beach in action
From exclusive panels and a star-studded soirée to exceptional musical moments, here’s a look back at the most memorable scenes from Spotify’s week in the South of France.
Monday, June 16
Spotify Beach kicked off with powerhouse programming featuring Paris Hilton, Louis Theroux, and Charlie Puth. Moderated by Spotify’s Global Head of Podcast Advertising & Business Development, Emma Vaughn, “Mic Check: In Conversation With Louis Theroux, featuring Paris Hilton” explored the power of storytelling across podcasts, documentaries, music, and memoirs. Paris reflected on using her podcast to highlight meaningful stories and connect with others:
“With my social [channels], I can showcase the more fun, glamorous, and playful side. But through my podcast, I can talk about things that are very meaningful to me […] and use my voice to be a voice for others.”
Puth joined Spotify’s Global Head of Business Marketing, Bridget Evans, for “Rhythm and ROI: Amplifying Music in Your Marketing Strategy,” sharing insights on how music drives brand storytelling—and even teasing a new Broadway project and his upcoming album.
The evening wrapped with Spotify’s annual soirée, where Puth performed fan favorites like “Attention” and “See You Again,” plus a surprise rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Guests included Antoni Porowski, Winnie Harlow, Kyle Kuzma, Bill Nye, Dylan Efron, Rachel Lindsay, Jake Shane, Bowen Yang, and Matt Rogers.
Charlie Puth and Bridget Evans (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Winnie Harlow (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Charlie Puth (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
(Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Louis Theroux and Paris Hilton (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Tuesday, June 17
Day two put fandom and authenticity in the spotlight. In our “Culture Club: The Influence and Impact of Fandom” panel, creators Jake Shane, Morgan Absher, and Rachel Lindsay discussed the evolution of podcasting and the power of connecting directly with audiences with Spotify’s Global Head of Creative Lab, Kay Hsu.
For “The Power of Presence: How Authenticity and Resilience Forge Global Influence,” Mark Ronson sat down with Spotify’s Chief Public Affairs Officer, Dustee Jenkins, to share stories from his collaborations with Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, and RAYE and discuss the creative process behind hits like “Uptown Funk.” He also chatted about creating the Barbie soundtrack and previewed his upcoming memoir:
“The great thing about Spotify is you can do enhanced audiobooks with hundreds of songs. It’s a book about DJing, so of course there are songs everywhere. The audiobook can be a really fluid experience.”
That night, emerging talent took center stage at Spotify Beach. Alex Warren, sombr, and Royel Otis wowed the crowd with energetic sets, while DJs Baby J and Dre Tala kept the party going. Notables like Ronson, Diplo, Ilona Maher, and Josh Richards were spotted among the revelers.
Otis Pavlovic (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Alex Warren (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Alex Warren (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
(Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Xavier 'X' Jernigan, Morgan Absher, Rachel Lindsay, Jake Shane, and Kay Hsu (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Jake Shane and Rachel Lindsay (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Royel Maddell (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Sombr (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Mark Ronson and Dustee Jenkins (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Wednesday, June 18
Innovation and artistry defined day three. In our “From AI to IRL: Navigating Creativity in the Now” panel, Xavier “X” Jernigan—the voice of Spotify’s AI DJ in English—joined Seal and a lineup of industry leaders to explore how technology, cultural insight, and editorial expertise are powering the next wave of creativity on Spotify. The conversation highlighted how brands are leveraging Spotify’s AI and personalization tools to craft winning global campaigns.
Creative director and content creator Rob Mayhew called out the power of Spotify’s new Gen AI Ads tool, saying, “Historically, creating an audio ad would take maybe two days. This isn’t just quicker and efficient—it’s really good, and the quality is seamless.”
Spotify’s Global Head of Music Partnerships & Audience, Joe Hadley, composer Ludwig Göransson, and actor Miles Caton closed out the daytime sessions with “Sound to Story: The Art of Personalization Through Music with Sinners,” a deep dive into how music helped bring the movie Sinners to life.
That evening, Spotify Beach came alive with performances from Cardi B and Lola Young. Lola set the tone with her hit “Messy” and reflected on its journey:
“It still doesn’t feel real that so many people connect to this song. I wrote it in my bedroom so long ago that the feeling I felt when I wrote it feels so far away, yet it feels so close again whenever I sing it live and revisit it with other people. I am so proud of this song and what it’s become. The meaning forever lives on in others now, and I’m so excited for my new music to continue to do the same.”
Cardi debuted her new single “Outside” and delivered a high-energy set of her biggest hits, while Mark Ronson and Anderson .Paak closed out the night with killer DJ and vocal performances. Guests included Scott Galloway, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Alexis Ohanian, and Monet McMichael.
Ludwig Göransson, Miles Caton, and Joe Hadley (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Anderson .Paak (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Cardi B (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Mark Ronson and Anderson .Paak (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Lola Young (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)
Rob Mayhew and Spotify's AI DJ Xavier "X" Jernigan (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Seal (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
Michael Barbaro (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spotify)
As the sun set on another Cannes Lions, Spotify Beach once again proved to be the place for inspiration and innovation—where the world’s leading voices come together to imagine what’s next for audio, advertising, and beyond.
For more highlights and behind-the-scenes moments, head to @spotifynews.
