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Berlinale to Honor Michelle Yeoh With Golden Honorary Bear in 2026

Festival leaders cite a boundary-crossing body of work, spotlighting her 2023 Best Actress Oscar as a milestone for Asian representation.

Overview

  • The lifetime-achievement prize will be presented at the opening ceremony on February 12, 2026, at the Berlinale Palast, with the festival running through February 22.
  • Festival director Tricia Tuttle praised Yeoh as a visionary artist whose work transcends geographic, linguistic and cinematic borders.
  • Yeoh rose from late-1980s and early-1990s action and martial-arts roles to international prominence, including as Agent Wai Lin in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.
  • She became the first performer of Asian heritage to win the Best Actress Oscar in 2023 for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
  • Yeoh previously served on the Berlinale International Jury in 1999 and said Berlin holds a special place in her heart.