Palm Springs, CA

The Palm Springs International Film Awards announced that acclaimed actor, director, and writer Ethan Hawke will be honored with the Career Achievement Award at the 2026 ceremony. The award recognizes the breadth and impact of Hawke’s four-decade career, highlighted most recently by his performance in the upcoming film Blue Moon. The Film Awards take place January 3, 2026, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running January 2–12. This year’s event is presented by Kering and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.

“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. Hawke’s work stands among the most powerful performances of his career. It is a privilege to present the Career Achievement Award to Ethan Hawke.”

In Blue Moon, directed by longtime collaborator Richard Linklater, Hawke stars as lyricist Lorenz Hart during the pivotal night of March 31, 1943. As Hart battles self-doubt inside Sardi’s bar, his former writing partner Richard Rodgers celebrates the premiere of Oklahoma! nearby. The film, from Sony Pictures Classics, also features Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott.

Hawke joins a slate of 2026 honorees that includes Michael B. Jordan (Icon Award), Leonardo DiCaprio (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), Adam Sandler (Chairman’s Award), director Chloé Zhao and Hamnet stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal (Vanguard Award), as well as Sentimental Value cast members Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning (International Star Award). Previous recipients of the Career Achievement Award include Kevin Costner, Bruce Dern, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Hawke is a four-time Academy Award nominee whose career spans acting, directing, screenwriting, producing, and authorship. He is widely known for his collaborations with Richard Linklater, including the Before trilogy and Boyhood, which earned him multiple nominations across the Academy Awards, SAG Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Independent Spirit Awards. His acclaimed performance in Paul Schrader’s First Reformed earned him more than 30 critics’ awards, while his portrayal of abolitionist John Brown in Showtime’s The Good Lord Bird garnered a Peabody Award and numerous nominations for acting and writing.

The Palm Springs International Film Awards, one of the most anticipated events of the festival season, annually honors some of the industry’s most celebrated talents as they head into the final stretch of awards contention. Hawke’s recognition adds to an already star-studded lineup for 2026.

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