Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya’s creative industry marked another milestone as winners of the Cannes Young Lions Kenya 2026 competition were officially unveiled, closing the second edition of the prestigious showcase that continues to position young Kenyan talent on the global stage.
In the Design category, gold was awarded to Team Full Capacity, comprising Gichimu Ikua and Vic Muuri, while the Digital category gold went to Muskaan Shaikh and Kinjal Sheth, competing as Team Kinjal and Muskaan.
Film category winners Team Enroute get awarded by Tusker Sports brand manager Keza Omwanza and Safaricom Tribe Head Flavia Othim. /MOSES MWANGIThe Film category was won by Michelle Shingi and Nidhi Buty, completing a strong showing across disciplines.
The winning teams will now travel to France in June to represent Kenya at the global Cannes Young Lions Competition, where they will compete against top young creatives from around the world.
Digital Category Gold Winners Team Kinjal and Muskaan./MOSES MWANGISpeaking after their win, Muskaan Shaikh expressed gratitude for the opportunity, describing the competition as transformative.
“We’re really happy to have won gold today in this brilliant competition sponsored by Safaricom. It’s a life-changing and monumental opportunity for creatives across Kenya,” she said, encouraging more young creatives to participate in future editions.
The Digital category win was particularly notable given that last year’s winners had competed under the Print category, which was not featured in this year’s edition—a reflection of the competition’s evolving structure as it adapts to industry trends.
For Team Full Capacity, the victory carried national pride.
“Competing on a global platform is really exciting,” said Gichimu Ikua. “We get to represent Kenya and show the world what we’re really made of.”
The competition’s title sponsor, Safaricom, reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing creative talent.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Zizwe Awuor, Director of Brand and Marketing at Safaricom, said the quality of work submitted this year demonstrated why investment in youth creativity matters.
“At the heart of everything we do is transforming lives,” Awuor said. “The youth are the majority in this country, and they are incredibly creative. They’re leveraging digital platforms to create amazing content, and this competition gives them a chance to play on the world stage.”
She added that global platforms like Cannes Young Lions must reflect African talent.
“You can’t have a global competition without Kenyans or Africans on that stage. This is where the talent is, and the world benefits from competing with it.”
Offering advice to emerging creatives, Awuor emphasized discipline and consistency.
“Passion alone isn’t enough. You have to practise every day, understand the foundations of branding and marketing, and then layer creativity on top.”
Now in its second edition, Cannes Young Lions Kenya continues to grow, with organisers signalling a commitment to refining and expanding the competition each year.
As the gold-winning teams prepare for France, the platform is steadily cementing Kenya’s place in the global creative economy—one idea, one brief, and one bold execution at a time.
