CANNES — Eddy Cue has been named Entertainment Person of the Year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026. The award recognizes his role in building Apple TV, Apple Music, and other services into global platforms.

As Apple's senior vice president of services and health, Cue oversees Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, Apple Pay, Apple News, and Fitness+. He also leads Apple's productivity and creativity apps and has orchestrated the company's expansion into television and film through the Apple TV streamer and theatrical film releases.

"Eddy Cue has consistently pushed the boundaries of entertainment and storytelling, building platforms and experiences that have redefined how audiences engage with culture," Cannes Lions CEO Simon Cook said. "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."

Cook cited Apple's influence on consumer behavior through its devices as part of the rationale for the honor. Previous recipients of the Entertainment Person of the Year award include Ynon Kreiz and Ted Sarandos.

Cue will speak at the Palais during the festival on Monday, June 22, in a fireside chat with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity will run from June 22 to June 26 in Cannes, France, and will host its first-ever global CMO summit as a closed-door gathering on June 24.

Apple TV launched in November 2019. Apple earned the Academy Award for Best Picture for its 2021 drama CODA. At the 2025 Emmy Awards, the Apple TV series The Studio won 13 awards, setting records for a comedy series in a single year and for a first-year series. Apple TV has delivered series including The Studio and Severance under Cue's leadership.

In 2025, the Apple Original film F1: The Movie became the highest-grossing sports movie of all time, pulling in $631 million at the box office. Bad Bunny's performance at the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show averaged 128.2 million viewers.

"We've always thought that art was a big piece of the DNA of who we are. But we never expected to be creating movies or TV shows," Cue told Variety. "We saw that the world was changing, and it seemed like everybody was going after quantity. We thought there was an opening for us, if we really focused on high quality."

Susan Credle has been named the 2026 Lion of St. Mark honoree, and AB InBev has been named Creative Marketer of the Year at Cannes Lions.