Young Lions Morocco Launches Exciting New Competition
On April 20, 2026, in Casablanca, under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Young Lions Morocco unveiled the winners of its inaugural competition at the Studio of Live Arts. This landmark event signifies Morocco's entry into one of the most prestigious international competitions that celebrate young professionals in the communication field, providing the winners with a remarkable opportunity to represent the kingdom at the Cannes Lions festival.
The evening attracted prominent figures from the advertising, media, economic, and cultural industries, marking a pivotal moment as the first winners of Young Lions Morocco were crowned. This national version of the Young Lions Competition is overseen by the National Federation of Communication Agencies, which serves as the official representative of Cannes Lions in Morocco.
Global Recognition and Local Impact
Globally, Young Lions has established itself as the benchmark competition for professionals under the age of thirty. This annual competition, organized by national representatives of Cannes Lions, features local editions that precede the final stage, allowing the top teams to compete internationally during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
In Morocco, the first edition featured five categories: Print, Digital, Media, Public Relations, and Marketing. Through this launch, the National Federation of Communication Agencies aims to integrate the creative Moroccan youth into a pathway of recognition and excellence, granting them unprecedented access to a well-established international platform that has been operational for thirty years.
Hassan Rouissi, President of the National Federation of Communication Agencies, stated, "This competition serves three primary objectives for our federation. Firstly, it strengthens our connection with youth and values their talents. Secondly, it solidifies the presence of Moroccan creativity on the international stage. Lastly, it allows us to be proactive and meaningful by leveraging this creative output in service of a national cause."
The practical aspect of this initiative goes beyond mere slogans. The federation has chosen to associate Young Lions Morocco with a structured cause supported by a civil society actor. For this inaugural edition, the Moroccan Association for Disability was selected as the official partner, with participating teams addressing communication issues aimed at enhancing the visibility and integration of individuals with disabilities.
In this context, Hicham Sentissi, General Director of the Moroccan Association for Disability, remarked, "This collaboration with the National Federation of Communication Agencies transcends a mere competition; it demonstrates that creativity can serve as a powerful lever for changing perceptions about disability. The ideas we have seen are not just creative; they are also beneficial, equitable, and essential."
For a first edition, the response was swift and widespread from the outset, with over 240 applications received. Five judging panels, comprising 34 international experts from the advertising world, including nine Moroccan professionals representing 15 nationalities, evaluated the submissions, ensuring the highest levels of rigor and objectivity in selecting the winners.
Following deliberations, 21 teams were shortlisted across five categories. Gold, silver, and bronze awards were granted based on established evaluation criteria and the quality of the submitted works.
The results announced on April 20 recognized the most deserving teams in each category. In the Public Relations category, the gold award went to the PR Warriors team (Nada Bencherki and Hiba Belhouk), followed by the silver award for the MK Impact team (Mouki Aghrabi and Khadija Jrairi), and the bronze award for Beyond Voices (Meryem Benbari and Safaa Edmoussi).
In the Digital category, the gold award was claimed by The Oscar Team (Meryem Smaily and Mohamed Hossam Belgarsh), with silver going to Adfatigue (Duaa Saadeni and Shaimaa Bentnat), and bronze to Creative Rebels (Mahdi Aziki and Mohamed Fariyat).
For the Media category, the silver award was taken by the Plot Twist team (Oumayma El Ghazi and Hamza Mahnine), while Team Atlas (Houria Badr Eddine and Hamza Bouabdallah) received the bronze award.
In Print, the silver award went to Big Ideas (Fatima Zahra Deriouch and Mohamed Amin Benrabah), followed by Adgency (Zineb El Mehyaoui and Rida Tamine) with bronze.
Finally, in the Marketers category, the gold award was presented to the Twofold team (Lamis Oujari and Soumia Karoumi), with the silver award going to Danone (Lamia Zouad and Nihal Ajram), and bronze to Brand Lab (Rania Kijji and Hiba Benhamri).
Winning the gold award qualifies the top team to represent Morocco at the international competition in Cannes. Based on the enthusiasm surrounding this inaugural edition, the UACC has announced its intention to organize another edition of Young Lions Morocco in 2027. Details regarding the anticipated schedule, participation criteria, and key milestones for the launch will be announced later.
As reported by alaan.ma.
