MIPCOM CANNES and The Ankler are joining forces to launch a new award recognizing figures shaping the future of the global entertainment industry, with entrepreneur and filmmaker Dhar Mann named as its inaugural recipient.
The Future of Entertainment Award will be presented to Mann on October 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the Grand Auditorium, ahead of the official opening of MIPCOM 2026. Janice Min, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Ankler Media, will present the award.
Dhar Mann’s is a new award for the evolving entertainment landscape
Mann, the founder of Dhar Mann Studios, is being recognized for his approach to creator-led storytelling and for building a digital entertainment business with a global audience across multiple platforms.
The new partnership between MIPCOM CANNES and The Ankler will also introduce the Future of Entertainment 25, an annual list highlighting 25 leaders whose work is influencing the entertainment business through creativity and innovation.
The independently curated list will cover a broad range of the industry, including content, technology, business and audience engagement, extending the partnership beyond the inaugural award.
MIPCOM 2026 will take place in Cannes from October 12–15, bringing together the international television, film and digital entertainment industries.
Janice Min, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Ankler
“The Ankler has always been obsessed with where the business is going next — and the place the industry turns to for insight on those shifts. Our partnership with MIPCOM CANNES lets us take that work a step further. The Future of Entertainment is our way of recognizing the people, starting with Dhar Mann, who are building enormous global entertainment businesses largely outside Hollywood’s traditional system.”
Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES, said:
“At a time of unprecedented transformation across the entertainment landscape, it is more important than ever to recognize the individuals who are driving innovation and creating new pathways for growth. This collaboration with The Ankler reinforces MIPCOM’s commitment to celebrating industry leadership and bringing together the visionaries who will shape the future of entertainment.”
The partnership will bring together MIPCOM CANNES’ global entertainment community with The Ankler’s trusted industry insights and editorial expertise, creating a platform to recognize the leaders driving meaningful change across the evolving entertainment landscape.
