Spikes Asia is becoming LIONS Asia
LIONS is turning a long-running APAC awards brand into a year-round regional platform, but the operational impact depends on details still to come.
LIONS said on September 17 that Spikes Asia will become LIONS Asia from 2027, ending a regional identity that has lasted nearly four decades. The first LIONS Asia Festival of Creativity and Asia Lions Awards will take place in Singapore in September 2027.
The announcement is more than an awards-show rename. It brings APAC’s creative platform under the same master brand as Cannes Lions while expanding the proposition into year-round learning, intelligence, benchmarking and networking for marketers and agencies across the region.
Key Takeaways
- Spikes Asia will formally become LIONS Asia at the first festival in Singapore in September 2027.
- The Asia Lions Awards will preserve a regional awards program within a broader year-round LIONS platform.
- Agencies and marketers should watch the forthcoming eligibility, programming and partnership details before changing award or event plans.
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What changes in 2027
According to Campaign Asia, the nearly four-decade Spikes Asia identity is evolving into LIONS Asia. BestMediaInfo reported that the first edition will retain Singapore as its location but move the festival back to September from its more recent March timing.
The awards will continue under a new name, the Asia Lions Awards. LIONS has not yet disclosed whether eligibility rules, categories, judging or entry mechanics will change, saying further details on programming, participation and partnerships will follow.
Melanie Speet, director of LIONS Asia, said the organization heard that marketers and agencies wanted “practical insights, meaningful connections and evidence of what drives growth.” That wording points to a platform designed to reach beyond an annual awards cycle, although the value of the promise will depend on the programs LIONS ultimately releases.
Why LIONS is consolidating its regional brand
The rebrand places APAC more directly inside a global LIONS portfolio that includes Cannes Lions, WARC, Effie and Contagious. The commercial logic is straightforward: a single master brand makes it easier to package awards, research, learning products and community programs as one connected offer rather than as separate regional properties.
LIONS is applying a similar regional model elsewhere. Insight to Impact is due to launch in Denver in October 2026 before moving to Nashville in 2027, while LIONS Riyadh is planned for December 2027. Thea Skelton, senior vice president of LIONS Festivals, said the intention was not to reproduce Cannes Lions in multiple markets but to make the group’s resources useful throughout the year.
For LIONS, this creates more touchpoints between annual festivals and its subscription, intelligence and professional-development businesses. For APAC participants, it could create easier access to the wider network, but it also retires a name with its own regional equity and history.
What the rebrand means for APAC
The immediate operational impact is limited. Agencies preparing entries or event budgets still need the forthcoming rules, deadlines and program details. Until those are published, the confirmed changes are the master brand, awards name, timing and broader year-round positioning.
The strategic signal is clearer. LIONS wants APAC creativity presented as part of its global system while retaining a distinct regional festival and awards program. Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said the platform is intended to connect local talent and ideas with the global industry while giving regional communities greater access to evidence, inspiration and networks.
For communications and agency leaders, the practical next step is monitoring the rollout. Awards leads should wait for the 2027 eligibility and category rules before remapping entry plans, while event and learning teams should assess whether the year-round offer provides useful regional access or mainly extends the global LIONS brand. The answer will determine whether LIONS Asia is a meaningful institutional expansion or primarily a cleaner brand architecture.
