Frequently Asked Questions

The Nothing Without Us Awards celebrate creative excellence in authentic disability representation. The Awards were created to raise the bar for the entire industry — not as charity or tokenism, but as a standard for what inclusive, impactful storytelling can and should be.

In 2025, we are using Cannes Lions as a platform to announce the Awards and spotlight the scale of exclusion that still exists in advertising today. The first full Awards ceremony will take place at SYNC25 in Tokyo this December.

The Awards are led by Valuable 500, the global organisation of over 500 partners and companies working together to end disability exclusion.

They are shaped and judged by a panel of disability experts, creatives, and inclusion leaders.

Alongside the Awards, Valuable 500 has developed the Authentic Representation Tool (ART) — a practical self-assessment platform that helps brands turn intention into action on disability inclusion.

No. At Cannes Lions 2025, we are formally announcing the Nothing Without Us Awards — but we are not awarding campaigns from this year’s Festival.

Instead, we are using this moment to spotlight the industry gap, share guidance and best practice, and showcase examples of existing campaigns that already demonstrate authentic disability representation.

This gives the industry clear reference points — and builds momentum for the first full Awards cycle at SYNC25.

Entries will be reviewed by a jury of disabled creatives and industry leaders, using a clear set of judging criteria.

Campaigns will be evaluated on:

• Idea
• Craft & Execution
• Cultural Impact

Full entry details and judging principles will be published ahead of SYNC25.

Start with ART — and also explore our global research report, “Nothing About Us Without Us”