Ahead of entries opening in the new year, Cannes Lions has announced changes to the Media Lions to make innovative and creative uses of media a more prominent factor in deciding the winners.

The description of the Media Lions has been updated to make it more clear that creative media ideas are being awarded, with similar updates made throughout the categories. That effort is backed up by the weighting structure, the majority of which now sits across media craft areas.

“Media today presents a vast creative canvas with which to grab the attention of fleeting audiences. By updating the category to emphasize the role media plays in creativity, the Media Lions are recognizing how the scope and impact of media has broadened,” said Daryl Lee, global CEO for IPG Mediabrands and president of the 2022 Media Lions Jury.

The changes were announced Tuesday alongside the new Creative B2B Lion, recognizing creativity and effectiveness in the B2B marketing realm. The festival has also changed the name of the Creative Ecommerce Lions to be the Creative Commerce Lions, reflecting how innovation and creativity has increasingly played a role in offline commerce and moving people through the omnichannel customer journey.

The 2022 Cannes Lions, which have committed to a hybrid festival after being forced to go fully virtual last year, opens for entries on Jan. 20.