Legendary singer, actress, and filmmaker Barbra Streisand will receive the Honorary Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, organizers announced. The prestigious award will be presented during the festival’s closing Awards Ceremony on May 23, 2026, at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France.
The Honorary Palme d’Or recognizes Streisand’s extraordinary contribution to global entertainment as a performer, director, producer, and songwriter. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has become one of the most influential figures in film and music.
“I’m honored to join the company of past Honorary Palme d’Or recipients whose work has inspired me,” Streisand said in a statement. She added that in difficult times, cinema helps people understand shared humanity and encourages compassion across borders and cultures.
Streisand’s achievements across multiple fields are remarkable. In film, she has appeared in 19 movies and directed three. She has won two Academy Awards, including one for her performance in Funny Girl (1968) and another for Best Original Song in 1977, making her the first woman to win in that category. She has also received 11 Golden Globe Awards, including becoming the first woman to win Best Director in 1984 for Yentl.
In music, Streisand has released 37 studio albums and earned 10 Grammy Awards. She is the only artist in history to have a number-one album in six consecutive decades, and until 2023 held the record for the most number-one albums by a female artist.
Cannes Festival President Iris Knobloch praised Streisand’s legacy, describing her as “a creator who made her mark through the power of her art and her unwavering pursuit of freedom.” She also highlighted Streisand as an inspiration for women in the film industry.
One of Streisand’s most significant achievements came with Yentl (1983), a film she produced, directed, co-wrote, and starred in. The project took 20 years to reach the screen and became historic as one of the first major Hollywood productions directed by a woman with a large budget. She later directed The Prince of Tides (1991) and The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), both receiving Academy Award nominations.
Throughout her acting career, Streisand has starred in celebrated musicals such as Hello, Dolly! and A Star Is Born, comedies like The Owl and the Pussycat and Meet the Fockers, and dramas including Nuts and the classic romance The Way We Were.
Beyond entertainment, Streisand is known for her activism and philanthropy. Through the Streisand Foundation, founded in 1986, she has supported causes including gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental protection, medical research, and arts education. She also established the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute to promote women’s heart health.
Cannes Festival Director Thierry Frémaux described Streisand as “a global star and an artist who creates projects that reflect who she is and shares them with the world.”
The 79th Cannes Film Festival will run from May 12 to May 23, 2026, with the Official Selection set to be announced on April 9, 2026.
Streisand’s appearance at Cannes will mark her first visit to the festival, making the moment a historic celebration of one of entertainment’s most enduring icons.