TIFF has named Penélope Cruz, Lee Chang-dong, Rosalind Eleazar, Siân Heder, and Isabelle Huppert as honorees of the 2026 TIFF Tribute Awards taking place at the 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The festival runs September 10–20, 2026, and the annual awards gala will take place on Sunday, September 13.
Academy Award–winning actor Penélope Cruz will receive the TIFF Special Tribute Award, presented by CHANEL; visionary auteur Lee Chang-dong will be honoured with the TIFF Ebert Director Award, presented by The Tory Family; acclaimed actor Rosalind Eleazar and French screen icon Isabelle Huppert will be presented with TIFF Tribute Performer Awards; and Academy Award–winning filmmaker Siân Heder will receive the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media, presented by Anne-Marie Canning.
“Now in its eighth year, the TIFF Tribute Awards celebrates some of cinema’s most exciting artists at an event dedicated to the transformative power of film,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “From the captivating performances of Isabelle Huppert, Penélope Cruz, and Rosalind Eleazar to Lee Chang-dong and Siân Heder’s vital filmmaking, each has shown a profound impact on screen storytelling. It’s our privilege to recognize their achievements as we gather to celebrate another exceptional year in film and rally support for TIFF’s ongoing work.”
The Tribute Awards gala is TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser and a world-class celebration of cinematic excellence, with proceeds supporting expanded access to cinema, championing artists, strengthening the industry, and bringing communities together through film. Presented in partnership with Rolex, with support from RBC, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, and Don Julio.
Academy Award winner and three-time nominee Penélope Cruz, recipient of the TIFF Special Tribute Award, has two films premiering at this year’s Festival: Bunker from Oscar-winning writer-director Florian Zeller and La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi from a screenplay co-written with Alberto Conejero.
Her other starring roles this year include The Bride!, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, alongside Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, and Peter Sarsgaard, and Olivia Wilde’s The Invite alongside Wilde, Seth Rogen, and Edward Norton.
The Special Tribute Award recognizes an individual who has made an extraordinary and unique contribution to the world of film, leaving a lasting legacy through their dedication and artistry. Previous recipients include Lee Byung Hun, Zacharias Kunuk, and Jafar Panahi (2025), Zhao Tao (2024), Andy Lau (2023), Dionne Warwick (2021), and David Foster (2019).
Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, recipient of the TIFF Ebert Director Award, returns to TIFF with the Special Presentations premiere of his eagerly anticipated Possible Love, a gripping tale of relationships plus generational and class divides.
Named after legendary film critic Roger Ebert, the award recognizes visionary filmmakers who have made a transformative impact on cinema. Past recipients include Guillermo del Toro (2025), Mike Leigh (2024), Spike Lee (2023), Sam Mendes (2022), Denis Villeneuve (2021), and Chloé Zhao (2020).
Rosalind Eleazar receives the TIFF Tribute Performer Award for her performance in Chris Rock’s Misty Green.
Isabelle Huppert is also a recipient of the TIFF Tribute Performer Award for her performance in Marc Fitoussi’s latest comedy All About Corinne, a TIFF ’26 Gala Presentation, in which she plays a background actor who spots a belated chance to break into the fickle family of le cinéma français.
The TIFF Tribute Performer Award recognizes an overall body of work. Past recipients are Nina Hoss and Channing Tatum (2025), Amy Adams and Jharrel Jerome (2024), Colman Domingo and Vicky Krieps (2023), Brendan Fraser and the ensemble cast of My Policeman (2022), Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch (2021), Kate Winslet and Sir Anthony Hopkins (2020), plus Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix (2019).
Siân Heder, recipient of the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media, makes her Festival debut with the TIFF ’26 World Premiere of Being Heumann, a follow-up to her Oscar-winning CODA (2021). Heder’s Opening Night Gala Presentation stars Ruth Madeley and Mark Ruffalo in this inspiring historical drama celebrating the paradigm-shifting activist Judy Heumann, “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.
Previously bestowed upon Idris Elba, Angelina Jolie, Pedro Almodóvar, Mira Nair, and Alanis Obomsawin, the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media recognizes leadership in creating a union between social impact and cinema.
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