Guillermo del Toro to receive Dilys Powell Award at London Critics’ Circle Film Awards

Acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is set to be honored by the British film critic community, having been named the 2026 recipient of the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film at the 46th annual London Critics’ Circle Film Awards. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 1 in London.

Del Toro expressed his gratitude for the recognition, calling it “an honour to receive the Dilys Powell Award from a group I greatly admire and to join such an esteemed group of recipients.” He added, “Working in this industry continues to be the joy of a lifetime,” reflecting on his decades-long career and enduring passion for cinema.

The Dilys Powell Award is named after the influential British critic and travel writer and is presented to filmmakers whose work has had a lasting impact on the art of film. Del Toro joins an impressive list of previous recipients that includes Michelle Yeoh, Kenneth Branagh, Pedro Almodóvar and Kate Winslet, underscoring the prestige of the honor.

Jane Crowther, chair of the London Film Critics’ Circle, praised del Toro’s contributions to cinema, saying the organization was “delighted to honour such a visionary director for his exemplary world-building and invention, which has provided escape, wonderment and comfort to our membership during his career.”

Del Toro’s body of work spans more than three decades, beginning with his 1993 debut Cronos and continuing through films such as Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, The Devil’s Backbone, Crimson Peak and the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water. His most recent project, Frankenstein, has been a prominent part of awards-season discussion, further cementing his status as one of cinema’s most distinctive voices.

The London Critics’ Circle Film Awards will be hosted by Mark Kermode at The May Fair Hotel, where both British and international achievements in film will be celebrated. Del Toro’s upcoming honor adds another milestone to a career defined by imagination, emotional depth and lasting influence on modern cinema.