LIA names Thasorn (Pete) Boonyanate and Umma Saini on TV & Cinema, Online Film jury: Kurt Pan to sit on Music & Sound jury

LIA has announced the juries for the TV & Cinema, Online Film, and Music & Sound categories. Representing Asia on the TV & Cinema and Online Film jury are Thasorn (Pete) Boonyanate from BBDO and Umma Saini from Schbang Mumbai. Kurt Pan of CODA Studio Shanghai will serve on the Music & Sound jury.

These expert jurors will convene at Encore @ Wynn, Las Vegas and award the most creative work entered into this year’s festival. Judging will run from 25th September through to 3rd October.

Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer of Havas London, is Jury President for LIA’s TV & Cinema and Online Film Jury. Recognized as a top creative in the industry, she is also a champion for women and under-represented groups in the industry.

Maguire said: “We are living through some bat shit crazy times… so let’s hold hands, run towards the chaos, and do what we do best…film. Great film has the power to cut through the crazy and go straight to our hearts! We should celebrate this power, embrace it, reward it. That’s why LIA is so important. We need to protect creativity. It will save the world.”

Film and Sound have the unique ability to evoke emotions, provoke thinking and even influence how people see the world. Take for example, the 1971 Coca-Cola TV ad that pans to show young people of different races singing I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing. It struck a chord with the public as it showed optimism and unity across the world. A film that is still remembered more than 50 years after it was aired.

Lucas Sfair, CEO and Head of Audio of Bumblebeat São Paulo, is a previous Grand LIA Winner, as well as, a 2025 Creative LIAisons Virtual Coach. He will lead the Music and Sound Jury. Apart from LIA, he has won many other top global awards in Audio and holds the distinction of being the only recipient of a Yellow Pencil for Original Composition in the history of D&AD.

“Being invited to serve as Jury President for LIA 2025 is both an honor and a responsibility I embrace wholeheartedly. Having experienced LIA both as an award recipient and juror, I’m looking forward to leading a diverse jury that celebrates work that doesn’t just follow trends, but creates them. In the jury room, I expect to see audio innovation that transcends conventional boundaries—work that resonates emotionally and proves that sound remains one of advertising’s most powerful and authentic storytelling tools,” said Sfair.

Barbara Levy, President of LIA, said: “Music and sound design are more than just sound effects set against visuals. The best music and sound actually make the narrative come alive. Just like great storytelling in film has the power to elevate the idea in very profound ways. Everyone on both these juries are master craftspeople. It’s such an advantage that everyone gets to see everything from the start of judging right until they cross the finish line. There are no shortcuts to getting to the best work. If something wins, it will be a piece of work that makes the best in the business jealous.”

2025 TV & Cinema and Online Film Jurors:
Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer, Havas London – Jury President
Thasorn (Pete) Boonyanate, Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Bangkok, Bangkok
Rachael Ford-Davies, Managing Partner, Collider, Sydney
John Forero, President / Chief Creative Officer, DDB Colombia, Bogotá
Larry Gordon, Creative Director, Freelance, New York
Dimitri Guerassimov, Chief Creative Officer, VML France, Levallois-Perret
John Mescall, Global Creative Chair, by The Network
Ryan Paulson, Chief Creative Officer, Denstu Creative, New York
Umma Saini, Chief Creative Officer, Schbang, Mumbai
Stephan Vogel, Chief Creative Officer EMEA / Creative Chairman Ogilvy Germany Ogilvy EMEA, Frankfurt

2025 Music and Sound Jurors:
Lucas Sfair, CEO and Head of Audio, Bumblebeat São Paulo – Jury President
Tone Aston, Creative Director / Partner / Senior Sound Designer, Rumble Studios, Sydney
Carol Dunn, Managing Director, Barking Owl, Los Angeles
Torsten Hennings, Branch Manager – Sound Engineer / Director, Studio Funk, Hamburg
Dann Liebermann, Head of Creative Partnerships, The Elements Music, London
Len Mattea, Music Producer, MassiveMusic, London
Kelly McCluskey, Executive Producer / Partner, Grayson Music, Toronto
Kurt Pan, Audio Producer, CODA Studio, Shanghai
Madison Rowe, Senior Creative Music Producer / Head of Sonic Branding, Art of Sound, New York
Joel Simon, Chief Creative Officer / CEO, JSM Music, New York
Diederik van Middelkoop, Executive Creative Director, Amp.Amsterdam, Amsterdam

For more information on the juries, categories and/or requirements, click here.