Don’t Look Away wins Entertainment for Music Gold Lion

Don’t Look Away, AKQA’s collaboration with recording artist Usher, won Gold in the brand new Entertainment Lions for Music category for Excellence in Interactive Music Video at the 63th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France.

Created for the launch of Usher's hit song Chains, Don’t Look Away is the first music video to demand your attention. It uses facial recognition technology to challenge viewers to hold the gaze of victims of social injustice in order to hear the music. If the viewer looks away, the music stops. The work was also awarded Bronze in the Film, Media and Radio Lions. In addition, Activision Call of Duty: Hack in Black, Nike Rise 2.0 and Google Performing Arts each received a Bronze Lion in the Entertainment and Digital Craft categories.

Full list of 2016 Cannes awards won:

Don’t Look Away

• ENTERTAINMENT LIONS FOR MUSIC
• GOLD: Music Content: Excellence in Interactive Music Video
• FILM LIONS
• BRONZE: Use of Film: Use of Online Film
• MEDIA LIONS
• BRONZE: Digital & Social: Use of Digital Platforms
• RADIO LIONS BRONZE: Use of Radio: Use of Audio Technology

Activision Call of Duty: Hack in Black

• ENTERTAINMENT LIONS
• BRONZE: Use of Brand/Product Integration into an Existing Brand Experience

Nike Rise 2.0

• DIGITAL CRAFT LIONS
• BRONZE: Function: Design; Construction; Experience: User Experience Design (UX)

Google Performing Arts

• DIGITAL CRAFT LIONS
• BRONZE: Form: Image; Sound; Aesthetic: Video/Moving Image