Mumbai: Cannes Lions has announced that Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Services and Health at Apple, will receive the 2026 Entertainment Person of the Year honour. The recognition celebrates leaders who have significantly shaped the future of entertainment and storytelling through creativity, innovation and cultural impact.
Cue has played a central role in building Apple’s global entertainment ecosystem, overseeing platforms including Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, Apple Pay, Apple News, Fitness+, Apple Card, Apple Maps, iCloud, along with Apple’s productivity and creativity applications.
Under his leadership, Apple TV has emerged as one of the most critically acclaimed and culturally influential streaming platforms since its launch over six years ago. The platform has consistently ranked among the industry’s highest-rated original content services for five consecutive years.
Apple TV’s content slate includes globally recognised titles such as Severance, Ted Lasso, The Studio and Pluribus. The Studio recently became the most-awarded freshman comedy series of all time, while Severance emerged as last year’s most Emmy-awarded drama series. In film, Apple Original Films’ Academy Award-winning F1 became the highest-grossing sports film in history.
Apple was also recently recognised by TIME as one of the world’s most influential entertainment companies, reflecting its growing impact on storytelling, innovation and culture.
The company’s entertainment ecosystem has received more than 800 awards and over 3,500 nominations to date. Beyond streaming, Cue also oversees Apple Music, which has achieved record listenership and subscriber growth, along with Apple’s expanding sports partnerships including Formula 1, Major League Soccer and Friday Night Baseball.
Commenting on the honour, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “Eddy Cue has consistently pushed the boundaries of entertainment and storytelling, building platforms and experiences that have redefined how audiences engage with culture. 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.”
Apple’s long-standing creative success at Cannes Lions has continued to reinforce its influence across global marketing and communications. In 2025, Apple was named Cannes Lions’ Creative Marketer of the Year and also secured the Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix for its iconic Shot on iPhone campaign. Other notable campaigns recognised at the festival include “Relax: Tractor”, “The Underdogs: Swiped Mac”, “TED LASSO: Fake Team. Real Partners.” and “Fuzzy Feelings”.
Cue is scheduled to deliver a keynote seminar on 22 June at the Lumière Theatre alongside legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer before receiving the award during the Cannes Lions Awards Show later that evening.
