UPDATED with latest: The Testament of Ann Lee star, Mank Oscar nominee and The Dropout Emmy winner Amanda Seyfried is set to receive the Palm Springs Film Festival’s 2026 Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress.
“In The Testament of Ann Lee, Amanda Seyfried delivers a masterful performance—one that is haunting in its emotional intensity and profoundly human in its truth,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “Across her remarkable career, she has continued to evolve, take bold risks, and elevate every story she inhabits.”
The festival runs January 2-11 in the desert city east of Los Angeles, and its film awards will be handed out January 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. See the other announced honorees below.
PREVIOUSLY, November 24: Blue Moon star and four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke is set to receive the Career Achievement Award from the Palm Springs Film Festival in January.
“Ethan Hawke has spent four decades building one of the most adventurous and prolific careers in film,
consistently delivering performances defined by depth, intelligence, and fearless originality,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “In Blue Moon, he brings those same qualities to his show-stopping portrayal of Lorenz Hart, capturing the famed lyricist at a moment when his life is unraveling as his former partner Richard Rodgers debuts Oklahoma! Hawke’s work here stands among the most powerful performances of his career.”
PREVIOUSLY, November 11: Michael B. Jordan will receive the Palm Springs Film Festival‘s 2026 Icon Award for his “bold and intricate” performance in Warner Bros Pictures’ Sinners for director Ryan Coogler.
“Michael B. Jordan once again proves why he’s been one of the most compelling performers for the past two decades,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “In Sinners, his reunion with Ryan Coogler yields a bold and intricate performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack. Michael’s ability to inhabit two distinct souls with such power and nuance is nothing short of extraordinary. For this remarkable achievement, and for his impressive body of work, we are proud to honor him with the Palm Springs International Film Awards Icon Award.”
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PREVIOUSLY, November 7: Adam Sandler will receive the Palm Springs Film Festival‘s 2026 Chairman’s Award for his “deeply moving” performance in Netflix’s Jay Kelly starring George Clooney.
“Adam Sandler delivers a deeply moving and career-best performance in Jay Kelly,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “It is a performance which underscores his standing as one of the most versatile and respected actors of his generation. We are proud to honor Adam — a singular talent whose work continues to surprise and inspire — with this year’s Chairman’s Award.”
PREVIOUSLY, November 5: The Palm Springs Film Festival kicked off its giving season Wednesday, revealing that the cast of Joachim Trier’s Cannes hit Sentimental Value will receive its International Star Award — the first time the award will be presented to an ensemble. Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning will be honored January 3 during the fest’s Film Awards at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
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In the film — which received an extraordinary 19-ovation for its premiere at the Grand Théâtre Lumière in May — Reinsve plays Nora, an actress, who with her younger sister Agnes (Lilleaas) are reunite with their estranged father Gustav (Skarsgård), a once-famous director who offers Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star (Fanning). All come together in a swirl of complex family dynamics.
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Reuniting Trier with his The Worst Person in the World star Reinsve, Sentimental Value is Norway’s entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar race.
“This extraordinary group embodies the very spirit of international cinema that our festival celebrates,” Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said. “Their deeply felt performances illuminate Joachim Trier’s moving story of family and reconciliation. With Sentimental Value representing Norway for Best International Feature Film, we are thrilled to recognize a film and cast whose impact resonates across cultures and continents.”
The festival, which runs January 2-11, will reveal its other award recipients in the coming weeks.
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