Cannes Lions selected Philippine journalist Maria Ressa as the 2024 Cannes LionHeart recipient.  

The accolade is given to a person who has used their position to make a “significant and positive difference to the world around us.” 

 Ressa is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rappler, a digital news site leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. 
 
Ressa has endured constant political harassment and imprisonment by the Duterte government. Her most recent book, How to Stand Up to a Dictator, was released in November 2022 and has been translated into 20 languages. 
 
Simon Cook, CEO, Lions credited Ressa with being “instrumental in redefining investigative journalism.”  

Ressa will deliver a keynote speech on June 21 from the Cannes Lions Festival’s Debussy Stage.  

Last year’s LionHeart recipient was environmental activist and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard. Previous recipients include Bono, Al Gore, Paul Polman and others.