Barbra Streisand to Receive Honorary Palme d’Or at the 79th Festival de Cannes

The 79th Festival de Cannes will celebrate one of the most influential figures in modern entertainment. Barbra Streisand will receive the Honorary Palme d’Or during the festival’s Awards Ceremony at the Palais des Festivals on Saturday, May 23, 2026.

Actress, director, producer, songwriter, and one of the most recognisable voices in music history, Barbra Streisand represents a rare synthesis of Hollywood cinema, Broadway tradition, and the international music industry. The tribute acknowledges a career spanning more than six decades and shaping popular culture across multiple artistic fields.

“It is with a sense of pride and deep humility that I’m honoured to join the company of past Honorary Palme d’Or recipients whose work has long inspired me,” Barbra Streisand said. “In these challenging times, movies have the ability to open our hearts and minds to stories that reflect our shared humanity, and to perspectives that remind us of both our fragility and our resilience. Cinema transcends borders and politics, and affirms the power of imagination to shape a more compassionate world.”

A Career of Unmatched Cultural Impact

Numbers alone only partially describe the scope of Streisand’s career. On the big screen, she has appeared in 19 films and directed three features, earning two Academy Awards. In 1977, she became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Evergreen,” written for A Star Is Born. Her career also includes 11 Golden Globe Awards, among them the historic Best Director win in 1984.

In music, her achievements are equally extraordinary. Barbra Streisand has released 37 studio albums and 13 soundtracks, earning 10 Grammy Awards and becoming the only artist to reach the number one position in album sales across six consecutive decades. For many years, she also held the record as the female artist with the most number-one albums.

Despite these remarkable statistics, her influence on global popular culture remains the most significant element of her legacy.

A Pioneer Behind the Camera

Barbra Streisand’s impact also reshaped opportunities for women filmmakers in Hollywood. Her directorial debut, Yentl, premiered in 1983 after a two-decade development process.

Inspired by a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, discovered in 1963, Streisand acquired the rights and spent years working to bring the project to the screen. When the film finally entered production, she served simultaneously as director, producer, co-writer and lead actress.

The film marked a historic milestone as one of the first major Hollywood productions directed by a woman with a substantial studio budget. The story of a young woman who disguises herself as a man to pursue religious education became a powerful narrative about emancipation and identity.

Barbra Streisand later directed The Prince of Tides, which received seven Academy Award nominations, and The Mirror Has Two Faces, a reinterpretation of André Cayatte’s Le Miroir à deux faces.

From Broadway Breakthrough to Hollywood Icon

Streisand initially dreamed of becoming an actress. Singing emerged as a practical path that quickly revealed her exceptional talent. Her rise was rapid and decisive.

She began performing in cabarets at eighteen, reached Broadway success at twenty, released her first album at twenty-one and achieved worldwide fame on screen at twenty-six with William Wyler’s Funny Girl. The performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress and launched one of the most recognisable screen careers of the late twentieth century.

Her versatility allowed her to move across genres with ease. Musicals such as Hello, Dolly! and A Star Is Born showcased her vocal power. Comedies including The Owl and the Pussycat, For Pete’s Sake and later Meet the Fockers revealed her sharp comic timing. In dramatic roles like Nuts and the romantic classic The Way We Were, starring with Robert Redford, she delivered performances marked by emotional intensity and sincerity.

Festival President Iris Knobloch described the tribute as recognition for “an artist who made her mark through the power of her art and her uncompromising pursuit of freedom.” Festival director Thierry Frémaux also emphasised her unique artistic profile, calling Barbra Streisand “a global star who initiates projects that reflect who she is and shares them with the whole world.”

Artistic Legacy and Social Commitment

Alongside her artistic achievements, Barbra Streisand has been deeply engaged in philanthropic and social initiatives. The Streisand Foundation, created in 1986, supports projects related to gender equality, minority rights, environmental protection, medical research and arts education for disadvantaged children.

She also founded the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Cedars Sinai Heart Institute, an initiative dedicated to advancing research and awareness of cardiovascular disease in women.

The Festival de Cannes will therefore welcome a figure whose career bridges cinema, music and social engagement. The tribute also marks the first time the legendary performer of Funny Girl will officially appear at the festival on the Croisette.

The 79th Festival de Cannes will take place from May 12 to May 23, 2026.
The Official Selection press conference announcing the programme will be held on April 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM (Paris time).