- Billion Dollar Boy and FiveTwoNine announce the launch of The Creator Fund, a grant designed to help emerging creative talent attend major advertising and creative events.
- For its inaugural initiative, Billion Dollar Boy announces an official partnership with Cannes Lions to provide 20 Creator Passes through The Creator Fund An independent judging panel of industry experts will assess creator applications, with winners announced on 24th April, 2025.
London, UK, 27 March 2025 – Leading global creator agency, Billion Dollar Boy, and global platform, FiveTwoNine, today announce the launch of The Creator Fund, a grant helping independent creators attend the world’s largest advertising and creative events – starting with an official partnership with the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival.
For its inaugural initiative, The Creator Fund, will provide 20 Creator Passes worth £1,000 (€1,185) each, with no obligations to Billion Dollar Boy.
By removing financial barriers, this fund invests in the next generation of creators set to lead the future of the advertising industry.
The creator application process
US and UK-based creators who meet the following criteria can apply for The Creator Fund for Cannes Lions:
- Have 20K+ followers on their primary social media platform and/or consistently post creative content
- Push boundaries with unique, original content
- Constantly evolve creative approach to content
- Demonstrate strong engagement and signs of growth on social media
- Seek to attend Cannes Lions for the first time in order to further their professional development
Creators can submit their application via a form to The Creator Fund for Cannes Lions here. (Full terms and conditions apply.) The application deadline is April 15, 2025.
Diverse industry leaders form independent jury panel
To ensure a fair and inclusive selection process, Billion Dollar Boy and FiveTwoNine have assembled a diverse and independent jury of industry leaders in the creator economy who are passionate about supporting the next wave of creative talent.
The jury assessing The Creator Fund applications for Cannes Lions includes:
- Jasmine Enberg, VP & Principal Analyst at eMarketer
- Vanessa Sawyerr, Co-Founder of WeRepresent, COO & Co-Founder Brands&Culture
- Aisling Conlon, International Trade Director at the UK’s Advertising Association
- Jamie Gutfreund, Founder of Creator Vision
- Phil Hughes, Partner at Lewis Silkin, Founder & CEO of the Digital Creator Association
- Nishma Patel Robb, Founder and CEO of Glittersphere
- Chloe Wilson, Head of Talent at 84 World
- Dom Smales, Co-Founder of GloMotion Studios
- Jordan Schwarzenberger, Co-Founder of Arcade Media and manager of The Sidemen
- Mazviona Madzima, Senior Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube
- Joshua Barnett, Managing Director at After Party Studios
- Chloë Downes, Founder & CEO of SHFT
Winners will be announced on April 24 2025.
Brand partnerships
Beyond Cannes Lions, The Creator Fund is an ongoing initiative offering creators financial assistance to attend tentpole industry events to accelerate their careers and ignite creative growth.
Billion Dollar Boy is seeking brand partners with a shared commitment to supporting creators and fostering accessibility to industry events to contribute to The Creator Fund and further amplify the fund’s impact.
Billion Dollar Boy at Cannes Lions
In addition to funding creator passes to the festival, Billion Dollar Boy will host an exclusive event at Cannes Lions titled The Creator Era, on Wednesday, June 18th from 1pm-3.30pm.
The event will bring together leading creators and key industry players to explore the future of entertainment and entrepreneurship within the creator economy. Panelists to be announced soon. You can register for the event here.
For more information on The Creator Fund or to apply, visit FiveTwoNine.
Becky Owen
Becky Owen, Global Head of FiveTwoNine and Global CMO of Billion Dollar Boy, comments:
“Creators set trends, shape culture, and define what’s next for the advertising industry, yet they’re often missing from the spaces where industry decisions are made.
“Creators deserve a seat at the table, and that’s why we’ve launched The Creator Fund. Our mission is to dismantle financial barriers that prevent talented creators from attending key industry events, starting with Cannes Lions.
“After introducing Creator Lions last year, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity represents a great opportunity for creators to grow their knowledge, expand their professional networks, explore potential brand collaborations, and learn from industry leaders. Entry to the festival can be cost-prohibitive – especially for independent creators who would benefit from attending.
“This fund is an investment in the creators poised to lead the industry’s future – the next generation of creative directors, brand owners, entertainment leaders and more. Our goal is to ensure the evolution of the advertising industry is driven by the most innovative and forward-thinking creators.”
Frank Starling, VP, Chief DEI Officer, LIONS of Cannes Lions Festival adds:
“If we want a truly inclusive industry, we need to start by breaking down the barriers that keep talent out of the room. Creators aren’t just content makers – they are culture shapers, and, too often, they’re excluded from the very spaces where decisions about the future of our industry are made. The Creator Fund is about changing that. It’s a step toward enabling access, and making sure creators are part of the conversations that shape the industry they help build.”
About FiveTwoNin
FiveTwoNine is a global platform dedicated to empowering creators in their careers and businesses through community, insider knowledge, and exclusive events
About Billion Dollar Boy
Billion Dollar Boy (BDB) is a global creator agency, using industry-leading tech solutions to deliver integrated, creator-led advertising and end-to-end campaign management.
Founded in 2014 by Edward East, alongside co-founder Thomas Walters, Billion Dollar Boy was among the first global influencer agencies and now has offices in London and New York.
Since its inception, BDB has partnered with some of the world’s leading brands – including Heineken, Nike, Unilever, PepsiCo and L’Oréal – connecting them with more than 14,000 vetted content creators.
BDB client campaigns have been awarded at the Cannes Lions, Influencer Marketing Awards, Webby Awards, Shortys, The Drum Awards and Adweek.
About LIONS
As The Home of Creativity, LIONS is the destination for those in the business of creativity. As the definitive benchmark of creative excellence and with unparalleled access to insight on how it works, LIONS provides those on the journey to creative excellence all they need, at whatever stage they are at and wherever they are. Our annual five-day Festival, Cannes Lions, is the meeting place for the global creative marketing community and a celebration of the world’s most excellent and effective work.