Entertainment for Music Lions: Cannes 2023 Decoded

There were two Grands Prix awarded for the Entertainment for Music Lion category.

The 'Beautiful Life' promo for British soul singer Michael Kiwanuka from Smuggler London and Apple's short, 'The Greatest' , produced through Somesuch, took home the top prizes.

The provocative promo for 'Beautiful Life' explores gun culture in America and the nation's absurd fascination with violence. Observing a group of teenagers as they play Russian Roulette, the promo warns of the risks and recklessness associated with gun possession, while the song was released and featured on the soundtrack for Netflix's documentary Convergence: Courage In A Crisis.

The second piece awarded in this category was Apple's short, The Greatest. Conceived in house and helmed by Kim Gehrig, the 2.25 minute short highlights the different ways that Apple’s products can aid people with disabilities.

Set to the pumping track, I Am The Greatest by Spiniflex Gum, the ad is filled with emotion and action, successfully resonating audiences with the everyday tasks featured.

The UK continued to score high in this category with Electric Theatre Collective's zoetrope VFX/animation piece for 'Cash In Cash Out', Pharrell's promo collaboration with 21 Savage and Tyler, The Creator, which took home a Gold Lion.

The intricate promo features recognisable caricatures set within a fantasy world, fusing complex production techniques - such as repeating sequences on a constantly rotating stage, bike stunts and morphing protagonists into larger-than-life characters.

Nexus London's co-produced promo for Gorillaz, 'Gorillaz Presents', created with Google New York and Eleven Management, also won for the the UK win by scoring a Bronze Lion.

The spot revolutionised the concept of musical performances by transforming the streets of New York and London into stages for two groundbreaking performances of Gorillaz’s brand new track Skinny Ape’, creating a series of unique immersive performances - featuring real-time animation of the Gorillaz characters.

A total of 18 Lions were given out in the Entertainment for Music Lions category, with two Grands Prix distributed, three Gold Lions, five Silver and eight Bronze Lions.

The US was the most awarded country in this genre, taking home 11 Lions across projects.