- FiveTwoNine and Billion Dollar Boy team up with Patreon for the return of The Creator Fund, now in its second year, in affiliation with Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
- 20 creators will be selected by an independent jury to receive a Cannes Lions Creator Pass and structured access to exclusive programming, brand introductions and industry leadership.
- Applications close on March 23, with winners announced April 14.
London, UK, March 12, 2026 – FiveTwoNine, the global creator platform and community, and Billion Dollar Boy, the global leader in creator-led brand building, have teamed up with Patreon, the network where creators and fans mutually invest in creative culture, to relaunch The Creator Fund in affiliation with Cannes Lions 2026.
Now in its second year, The Creator Fund identifies and supports the next generation of creative entrepreneurs building original formats, businesses and audiences within the creator economy.
As Cannes Lions remains the industry’s most recognised stage for creative achievement, a goal of The Fund is to ensure creators are not on the sidelines, but actively integrated into key industry conversations.
But, the initiative is not simply about event attendance. It is a structured access platform selecting high-potential creators at a pivotal stage in their careers and supporting them before, during and after Cannes Lions.
Specifically, The Creator Fund provides introductions to decision-makers, organises curated programming, and offers on-the-ground guidance that converts access into tangible business opportunity.
With Patreon joining as a sponsor in 2026, the initiative expands its reach and long-term impact. As a platform powering independent creator communities and businesses, Patreon’s participation reinforces the Fund’s focus on sustainable, audience-first entrepreneurship.
Independent Jury of Industry Leaders
Recipients are selected by an independent jury of senior leaders from across the creator economy, ensuring a rigorous and merit-based process recognising originality, ambition and entrepreneurial potential.
Selection represents recognition of creativity at a defining moment in a creator’s career.
This year’s jury for The Creator Fund for Cannes Lions includes:
- Lina Renzina, Head of Top Creator Management at Patreon
- Joe Lamb, Managing Director, Commercial at Arcade
- Sydne Mullings, General Manager, Americas Central Marketing Organization and Industry, Microsoft
- Kristin Maverick, Director, Social & Creator Marketing, Verizon
- Joel Marlinarson, Creator Fund Winner 2025
- Ian Fujimoto, Creator Fund Winner 2025
- Shukri Dirie, Development Producer, BBC Studios TalentWorks
- Jessica Joseph, Founder, Season25
- Clare Phillips, Director of Social & Influencer for EMEA, Adobe
- Jamie Gutfreund, Founder of Creator Vision
- Alex Brownsell, Head of Content, WARC Media
- Gracie Schram, Head of Strategic Creator Initiatives, Epidemic Sound
- Madolyn Grove, Head of Creators UK, TikTok
- Leon Harlow, Group Commercial Director, YMU
- Steven Bertoni, Assistant Managing Editor, Forbes
The 2026 Creator Application Process
FiveTwoNine and Billion Dollar Boy will fund and award 20 Creator Passes for successful applicants to attend Cannes Lions 2026, worth $1,724 (€1,494) each.
Applicants should demonstrate:
- 20K+ followers on primary platform (or 5,000 followers on Patreon) and consistent creative output
- Original, distinctive content
- Strong engagement and growth
- Clear entrepreneurial ambition
- First-time interest in attending Cannes Lions
Creators can submit their application via a form to The Creator Fund for Cannes Lions here. Applications close March 23, 2026. Winners will be announced April 14, 2026. Full terms and conditions apply.
Expanding The Creator Fund’s Impact
The Creator Fund continues to expand as a long-term platform for identifying and accelerating high-potential creator entrepreneurs.
To date, the fund has directly invested in creators by equipping them with career development opportunities, and ensuring access to tentpole industry events, including: Cannes Lions, CreatorFest Europe, Art Basel, and local NYC creator community events.
FiveTwoNine and Billion Dollar Boy welcome brand partners who share a commitment to investing in the next generation of creative leadership and who want to play an active role in supporting emerging talent at pivotal industry moments.
The Initiative’s Breakout First Year
Through the 2025 initiative, FiveTwoNine and Billion Dollar Boy funded and awarded 20 Creator Passes to Cannes Lions.
However, the impact extended far beyond entry to the Festival. Recipients were integrated into exclusive FiveTwoNine programming, private roundtables and curated meet-and-greets with brand leaders.
Several winners secured brand partnerships, including opportunities with global advertisers such as Dove, while others landed stage talks alongside senior leaders across platforms and agencies.
An independent jury selected creators with a combined 14.5 million followers, recognizing originality, ambition, cultural vision and entrepreneurial drive.
Joel Marlinarson, 2025 winner, stated: “It was a surreal, fast paced experience. I felt like I was experiencing a noticeable shift as it seemed more creators were there and ‘belonging’, instead of feeling like outsiders.”
Simi Adeshina, 2025 winner, shared: “I knew I’d come away from it feeling inspired and I’m happy to say I’m riding that buzz right now! I’m more motivated than ever to scale up my production so a huge thanks for the opportunity.”
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 on June 24th sponsored by Patreon.
The event will bring together leading creators and key industry players to explore the future of entertainment and entrepreneurship within the creator economy. More event details will be shared soon.
For more information on The Creator Fund or to apply, visit FiveTwoNine.
Becky Owen, Global Head of FiveTwoNine and Global CMO of Billion Dollar Boy, said:
“Last year’s response to The Creator Fund for Cannes Lions exceeded our expectations. But more importantly, we saw first-hand what happens when access is intentional. We did not simply provide entry to Cannes Lions. We supported winners at every stage, helping them navigate the festival, hosting dedicated events, connecting them directly with brands and working alongside them to secure speaking opportunities and long-term relationships.
“We launched The Creator Fund because creators deserve a seat at the table. Too often, the people shaping modern creativity are missing from the rooms where the industry’s biggest decisions are made. Not because they lack talent, but because the barriers to entry are financial and structural.
“In just one year, we have seen creators secure brand partnerships, land stage talks and build relationships that continued long after the festival ended. That progress gave us the conviction to return in 2026 and expand the initiative.
“With Patreon joining us this year, we are deepening our commitment to creators building sustainable, independent businesses. The Creator Fund is about more than access. It is about recognising entrepreneurial talent, opening real doors and ensuring that the next generation of creative leaders is positioned at the centre of the industry’s future. We are also grateful to Cannes Lions for continuing to evolve and expand creator presence and programming across the Festival.”
Lina Renzina, Head of Top Creator Management at Patreon, Said:
“Creators building direct-to-fan communities are laying the foundation for independent businesses, but many need better access to the partners, resources, and opportunities that make long-term sustainability possible. That is exactly what Patreon is here to do. With Cannes Lions increasing its spotlight on the creator economy, we’re proud to team up with Billion Dollar Boy and FiveTwoNine on The Creator Fund — connecting creators with the relationships, resources, and visibility they need to scale and deepen the communities they’ve worked so hard to build. I’m personally looking forward to serving on the judging panel, and bringing more emerging creators to this international celebration of creativity.”
Ed Davidson, VP Chief Growth Officer, LIONS, said:
“We’re delighted to see Billion Dollar Boy bring back The Creator Fund for a second year. LIONS Creators celebrates the creative brilliance of the creator economy while advancing creators’ role as a vital force within today’s creative community – shaping culture and redefining how brands connect with their audiences.
“Through this partnership, we’re proud to support creative talent and help open the doors of Cannes Lions to creator entrepreneurs. Initiatives like The Creator Fund play an important role in ensuring the Festival reflects the full breadth of modern creativity and the people driving the industry forward. We look forward to welcoming the 2026 cohort to Cannes.”
About Billion Dollar Boy Group
Billion Dollar Boy Group (BDB) is a global leader in creator-led brand building, delivering award-winning social-first and creator marketing campaigns.
Since 2014, BDB Group has partnered with some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Heineken, Nike, Unilever, PepsiCo, and L’Oréal, to deliver best-in-class, social-first advertising at scale with creator energy at its core. Powered by its proprietary, AI-powered technology, Companion, and data-driven insights, our end-to-end services span strategy, creative, production, paid media, and execution across content, community, and commerce.
Our client work has been awarded by Cannes Lions, Campaign Awards, The Drum, Webby Awards, and Shorty Awards.
In 2025, Billion Dollar Boy agency was named Social and Creator Agency of the Year by AdWeek and The Drum, and Companion was recognised as the Global Tech Platform of the Year at the Global Influencer Marketing Awards. The agency also became the first and only creator marketing agency to achieve the prestigious IPA Effectiveness Accreditation.
The Group’s rapid global growth also earned Billion Dollar Boy recognition in both the Financial Times’s list of the 1000 fastest-growing companies in Europe and AdWeek’s Fastest Growing for a fifth consecutive year each.
About Patreon
Launched in 2013 by and for creators, Patreon is a network where more than 300,000 creators and millions of fans mutually invest in creative culture. We offer creators a variety of ways to engage with their fans and build a lasting business including: paid memberships, free memberships, community chats, live video, and selling to fans directly with one-time purchases. Creators across a variety of genres— including but not limited to podcast, video, music, visual arts, gaming and more — have built thriving fandoms on Patreon. Learn more about Patreon and our community on Patreon and Instagram.
About LIONS
LIONS is the global platform that champions creativity and marketing effectiveness for growth.
We help businesses grow through creative marketing that matters.
We know that creativity can and should be applied across the full marketing mix. Creativity is an impactful business driver – and when it’s integrated with a culture of effectiveness, it’s a competitive advantage.
Backed by over 150 years of experience and evidence, Cannes Lions, WARC, Effie, Contagious and Acuity – provides the global marketing industry with the definitive benchmarks, intelligence, training and tailored advice needed to grow.
LIONS is part of Informa PLC.