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JWT India’s Tista Sen on Cannes Lions’ Glass Lion Jury
MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson India national creative director & senior vice president Tista Sen is one of the nine members of the first Glass Lion: The Lion for Change jury that were announced by Cannes Lions.
The award, launched with the support of Leanin.Org, recognises work that breaks through unconscious gender bias and shatters stereotypical portrayals of men and women. It will be judged by an accomplished, diverse group who will bring a broad cross-section of cultural perspectives, insights and experience to the table.
IfWeRanTheWorld/MakeLoveNotPorn founder and CEO Cindy Gallop will be the president of the jury.
The jury members are:
USA: IfWeRanTheWorld/MakeLoveNotPorn founder and CEO Cindy Gallop
Brazil: AlmapBBDO partner and co-president of the board Marcello Serpa
France: BETC managing director Catherine Emprin
UK: Mr President creative partner Laura Jordan Bambach
India: J. Walter Thompson national creative director & senior vice president Tista Sen
UK: Isobar chief executive officer and executive creative director Nick Bailey
USA: Leo Burnett chief creative officer Susan Credle
USA: Weber Shandwick president Gail Heimann
USA: The Representation Project founder & CEO Jennifer Siebel Newsom
USA: Head @HeForShe Campaign senior advisor to Under Secretary-General UN Women Elizabeth Nyamayaro
Lions Festivals CEO Philip Thomas said that they would be instrumental in helping to shape the future of the award, and, in turn, the industry. “We believe that marketing actively shapes culture, and the Glass Lion is part of our commitment to having a positive impact on this. The introduction of a new Lion is an opportunity to define both the category and what we hope the communications landscape might look like,” he said.
Stressing on the importance of the award in actively shaping industry change, Gallop said, “I want every single creative in every country around the world to desperately want to win the Glass Lion – because the work that wins this award represents The New Creativity: the gold standard for creative and sociocultural change in our industry.”
Bailey agreed, adding that the global, multi-disciplinary perspective of the jury would also play a role in how the work is judged. “It’s no secret that one gender and one viewpoint is over-represented in our industry, which means inevitably a certain viewpoint is over-represented. The Glass Lion seeks to redress that by recognising work that holds a mirror up to the world as it really is, rather than just as a minority of people see it. That’s why it’s particularly exciting to see not just a truly international mix in the jury, but also a mix of viewpoints from both within and from outside our industry,” he said.
The introduction of the Glass Lion: The Lion for Change follows on from the 2014 launch of the See It Be It initiative, created to address the industry’s gender imbalance by accelerating creative women’s careers in advertising. The three-day programme for 12 creative women is returning to Cannes Lions this year and nominations are now open. Successful candidates will receive airfares to Nice, a Classic Pass to the Festival and accommodation for the duration of the programme, which is being held from 21 – 24 June 2015.
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Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
