Actress Barbra Streisand Honored with Palm of Excellence - Barbra Streisand to Receive Historic Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes 2026
Barbra Streisand will be honoured with the Cannes Film Festival's Honorary Palme d'Or in 2026. The award recognises her lifetime achievements in film and music. Since its introduction in 1976, no other recipient has received this distinction—making her the first.
Born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, Streisand began performing at 18. She later dropped the second 'a' in her birth name, Barbara, simply because she disliked it.
Her career spans decades of groundbreaking work. As a singer, she has released 37 studio albums and topped US charts in six consecutive decades. On screen, she has starred in 19 films, directed three, and won two Academy Awards. Notably, she became the first woman to receive an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe for Best Director. One of her most ambitious projects was *Yentl*, a drama she directed, produced, and starred in. It marked the first major US production with a woman filling all three key roles. Thierry Frémaux, the festival's director, called her a 'legendary fusion of Broadway and Hollywood'.
The Honorary Palme d'Or will be presented to Streisand at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The award highlights her unmatched contributions to entertainment. No other artist has received this honour since its creation nearly 50 years ago.
