National CineMedia Announces Save The Music Foundation as Official Non-Profit Partner of the 2026 Cannes Lions Young Lions Competition
- NCM
- 38 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Names TEAM USA Advisors from Bloomberg Media, IN GOOD CO, NAACP, and Raven Public Relations
NEW YORK – January [28], 2026 – National CineMedia (NASDAQ: NCMI) (“NCM”), the largest cinema advertising platform in the US, and the US Representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, today announced Save The Music Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports music education in 285+ school districts nationwide, as its official non-profit partner for the 2026 US Young Lions Competition.
Save The Music is featured in the 2026 Young Lions competition brief which is available to advertising, marketing, and communications industry professionals born on or after June 20, 1995, who registered in one of the following competition categories: Digital, Film, Media, PR and Print. The winning teams will receive round-trip airfare and lodging to represent the country as TEAM USA on the global stage at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, held in Cannes, France from June 22-26, 2026.
This year’s Young Lions competition participants will be guided by TEAM USA advisors, a prestigious list of senior agency, media, and creative leaders across the industry who have previously served as Global Young Lions jurors. The 2026 TEAM USA advisors who will leverage their experience as a juror to help prepare TEAM USA for the global competition include:
Digital: Aba Blankson, CMO, NAACP
Film: Frank Cartagena, CEO & CCO
Media: Nicolas Piris, Global Head of Client Marketing, Bloomberg Media
PR: Matt Van Hoven, Co-Founder, Raven Public Relations
Print: Kirsten Ludwig, President + Founder, IN GOOD CO
Participants will be tasked with modernizing and elevating Save The Music’s annual fundraising efforts to support and reach a new generation of music lovers.
"Save The Music is honored to partner with NCM for this year’s Young Lions competition,” said Henry Donahue, Executive Director of Save The Music. “Music continues to play an important role in ensuring students in our communities can grow, and with the right tools and mentorship, we may see a future Young Lion emerge from our program. We look forward to seeing the creative, innovative proposals that this year’s visionary Young Lions develop, and are excited to implement fresh ideas to drive Save The Music’s mission.”
“We are grateful to our new and returning sponsors of the 2026 US Young Lions competition, including this year’s first-ever title sponsor, PMCI (Publicis Media Content Innovation), and are proud to support Save The Music in our 11th year as the US Representative for Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity,” said Mike Rosen, Chief Revenue Officer at NCM. “Our partners make it possible for us to continue amplifying the Young Lions competition experience, allowing us to invest in and cultivate the power of the next generation of creative marketers and leaders.”
For additional information about the 2026 US Young Lions Competition, visit: https://www.ncm.com/us-lions-community.
About National CineMedia, Inc.
National CineMedia, Inc. (NCM, NASDAQ:NCMI) is the largest cinema advertising platform in the U.S. With unparalleled reach and scale, NCM connects brands to sought-after young, diverse audiences through the power of movies and pop culture. A premium video, full-funnel marketing solution for advertisers, NCM enhances marketers' ability to measure and drive results. NCM’s Noovie® Show is presented exclusively in 42 leading national and regional theater circuits including the only three national chains, AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (a subsidiary of Cineworld Group PLC). NCM’s cinema advertising platform consists of more than 17,500 screens in over 1,350 theaters in 184 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). NCM is the managing member and owner of 100% of National CineMedia, LLC (NCM LLC). For more information, visit www.ncm.com.
About Save The Music Foundation
Save The Music Foundation (STM) is an independent 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to helping students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. Since 1997, STM has worked to address systemic inequities in music education by investing in culturally rich American communities - supporting music teachers and donating musical instruments, equipment and technology to public schools. Numerous studies show students who receive music education demonstrate improved math and verbal performance. * To date, the organization has donated over $78 million worth of instruments, equipment and technology to over 2,900 schools across hundreds of school districts, impacting the lives of millions of students nationwide.
*National Library of Medicine, Harvard, University of the Pacific
Contacts
National CineMedia
Save The Music
Lisa Gottheil (Grandstand), lisag@grandstandhq.com
Kate Jackson (Grandstand); katej@grandstandhq.com
Hallie Cross (Save The Music), hallie.cross@savethemusic.org
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