Barbra Streisand to receive honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes for first time

Barbra Streisand will receive an honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes, marking her first appearance at the festival

Barbra Streisand is set to receive an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this May, marking her first official appearance at the prestigious event. The EGOT-winning icon will be presented with the award on May 23 during the festival’s ceremony, recognising her extraordinary contributions to music, film, and popular culture.

“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,” 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.”

Cannes festival director Thierry Frémaux described Streisand as “the legendary synthesis between Broadway and Hollywood, between the music hall stage and the big screen,” praising her as a global star whose projects reflect her unique vision. Previous honorary Palme d’Or recipients include Peter Jackson, Agnès Varda, Marco Bellocchio, Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, and Tom Cruise.

The festival’s announcement also highlighted Streisand’s philanthropic work, including the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai and the Streisand Foundation’s support of gender and minority equality, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental causes, medical research, and arts education for disadvantaged children.

Streisand is also expected to perform at the upcoming Oscars during the In Memoriam segment in tribute to her late ‘The Way We Were’ co-star Robert Redford. The 79th Festival de Cannes will run from May 12 to 23, offering audiences a first look at the legendary performer being honoured for her decades-long impact on entertainment and culture.