Road to Cannes: 2026 Metal Factor Yong Lye Peng Scholarship now open

Friday, 13 March 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Last year's winner Harendra Uyanage (right) with Ranil de Silva

Building on the success of its inaugural year, Metal Factor has brought back its Next Generation Program for a second year. This initiative offers a Rs. 1 million sponsorship for the next generation of leaders in Sri Lanka to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026 in France. This opportunity enables the recipient of the scholarship to attend the Cannes Lions Festival in France and to gain exposure to award-winning work, opportunity to listen to industry leaders, network and to be inspired by world class standards.

Last year’s winner, Harendra Uyanage of Mullen Lowe, gained invaluable global exposure through the scholarship and was inspired by the opportunity. He has brought back extensive learning from this opportunity to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

“Following the success of last year’s scholarship, we are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity once more to the local advertising fraternity, courtesy of the generosity of Douglas Khoo. Khoo continues to fund this scholarship in memory of his late wife and my dear friend Yong Lye Peng”, said Ranil de Silva of Metal Factor. Metal Factor positions the scholarship as a deliberate investment in Sri Lanka’s next generation of industry leadership. Central to its mandate is identifying a senior professional, someone who has demonstrated sustained leadership, industry commitment and the readiness to navigate the complexities of the 2020s.

Eligible candidates should be aged 35–50 and have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in advertising. Metal Factor is a nonprofit partnership created to help Sri Lanka’s advertising industry achieve world-class standards and gain global recognition for its work.