Michelle Yeoh to Receive Honorary Golden Bear at Berlinale 2026

BERLIN, Germany — Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh will receive the Honorary Golden Bear at the 2026 Berlinale film festival for her exceptional career in cinema. The award will be presented during the festival’s opening ceremony on February 12, 2026.

Festival director Tricia Tuttle praised Yeoh as a “visionary artist” whose work transcends boundaries in geography and language. “Her commanding presence and fearless artistic choices have left a lasting impression on generations of filmmakers and fans,” Tuttle said in a statement.

Yeoh, 63, expressed her gratitude, noting that Berlin has always held a special significance for her. “It was one of the first festivals to embrace my work with such warmth and generosity,” she stated, reflecting on her long career in film.

Yeoh’s journey in cinema began in the late 1980s, with early roles in films like “Yes, Madam” and “Police Story III.” Her international breakthrough came in 1997 as a Bond girl in “Tomorrow Never Dies.” She is widely recognized for hits like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and the acclaimed “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2023.

She served on the Berlinale jury in 1999 and has participated in the festival multiple times since. Yeoh will also be starring in the new series “Blade Runner 2099,” produced by Ridley Scott for Amazon Prime Video, set to release in 2026.

The Berlinale is one of Europe’s leading film festivals, running from February 12 to 22, and is noted as a key event on the international film calendar, alongside Cannes and Venice.