Apple senior vice president of services and health Eddy Cue accepted the 2026 Entertainment Person of the Year award Monday evening at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. He used the platform to outline Apple TV’s operational philosophy, telling the crowd that the company prioritizes quality over catalog size.
“We’ve never strived to be the most. We strive to be the best,” Cue said. “When we started Apple TV nearly seven years ago, we said, let’s build the place that allows the best storytellers in the world to do their best work.”
The executive received the honor during the opening night ceremonies, according to the official announcement of the 2026 Cannes Lions first winners. Cannes Lions CEO Simon Cook presented the trophy, praising the tech company for building platforms that redefine cultural engagement.
Before the evening awards, Cue appeared at a daytime keynote session alongside producer Jerry Bruckheimer to detail upcoming Apple original productions. The duo confirmed their intention to produce a sequel to the hit Apple racing film F1. They also teased an unannounced UFO conspiracy thriller that will be directed by Joseph Kosinski.
The Cannes Lions Entertainment Person of the Year trophy is a relatively new honor at the long-running festival. The category was created in 2019, with television producer Lorne Michaels serving as the inaugural recipient.