The 22nd edition of the UAE Young Lions Competition, powered by Getty Images, has successfully concluded, with winners revealed across the Digital category and the newly introduced Media category, sponsored by UM.
The competition, held on 22 February 2025 followed by judging and an awards ceremony on 26 February 2025, showcased exceptional creative talent with 47 teams participating across both competitions.
Creative heads from leading agencies judged the Digital category, while senior media and strategy directors evaluated the Media category entrants. Shortlisted teams presented their work in person to the judging panels at the Motivate Media Group head office in Dubai Media City.
Maria Salameh and Mayjane Najjar from Zenith Media secured the Gold award in the inaugural Media category for ‘The Love You Left Behind’ campaign, while Francesco Negri and Diego Fernández from FP7 McCann were handed the Gold award in the Digital category for their ‘Expiring: Deals’ campaign.
These two talented teams will now represent the UAE at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June 2025.
Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group and CEO of Motivate Val Morgan, said, “The participation of 47 teams across both categories this year represents an extraordinary milestone for the UAE Young Lions Competition. This remarkable turnout demonstrates the vibrant creative ecosystem of the UAE and reinforces its position as an emerging creative powerhouse on the global stage. The quality of work presented, particularly from our Gold winners, fills me with confidence that Team UAE will make a significant impact at Cannes this year.”
This year’s competition challenged participants to develop campaigns for ne’ma, the UAE’s National Food Loss and Waste Initiative.
The Silver award in the Media category went to Sheila Ghavabesh and Nour Bchennaty from MiQ for ‘The Fading Flavour,’ while Owais Awan and Mai Iskander from Socialize earned Silver in the Digital category for their ‘Cart to Calendar’ campaign.
Bronze honors in the Media category were shared between two teams: Aya Halawany and Mai Amr from OMD MENA for ‘Feed-fwd;’ and Reem Usama and Farah Abushady from Hearts & Science MENA for ‘Consciousness by Convenience.’
Similarly, the Digital category saw Bronze awards split between Zainab Yasseen and Mahmoud Gahallah from M&C Saatchi Group for ‘Censor Food Waste;’ and Victoria Cordeiro and Farishte Irani from Saatchi & Saatchi MEA for ‘Today Don’t Order From Us.’
Commenting on the quality of the entries this year, Jehan Al-Khateeb, Marketing and Communications Officer at ne’ma, said, “We were truly impressed by the creativity and strategic thinking displayed by these young talents. The winning campaigns not only captured the essence of our mission to reduce food waste but also presented innovative approaches to inspire behavioral change. These fresh perspectives are exactly what we need to transform the UAE’s into a nation where no food is wasted.”
This milestone competition comes at an exciting time for UAE’s creative industry, having recently achieved its highest-ever ranking in the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity — placing eighth among the top 10 countries globally.
As Francesco, Diego, Maria, and Mayjane prepare to represent the UAE on the international stage this June, they carry forward the nation’s growing reputation as a hub for creative excellence and innovation.
