Lumière Award 2026
Press release
LYON, FRANCE. The 18th Lumière Award will honor not one but two giants of cinema. Their contribution to world filmmaking is outstanding; film lovers adore them, critics praise them, and audiences flock to see each of their new releases. They are the creators of a vast body of work, masters of every genre they have explored. Long live the brothers of cinema!
Like Clint Eastwood (the first Lumière Award recipient in 2009), Jane Fonda (2018), Martin Scorsese (2015), Francis Ford Coppola (2019), and last year's recipient Michael Mann, they are worthy heirs to—and among the most distinguished successors of—the great tradition of American cinema.
Like Quentin Tarantino (2013) and Tim Burton (2022), they are rock stars of their craft, icons of popular culture whose films have created a lasting and unforgettable impact.
Like Jane Campion (2021), Wong Kar-wai (2017), Pedro Almodóvar (2014), and Ken Loach (2012), they are at the forefront of a generation that revolutionized the seventh art in the 1990s.
Like Catherine Deneuve (2016), Milos Forman (2010), Isabelle Huppert (2024), and Wim Wenders (2023), they are icons of world cinema, combining the recognition of their peers, critical acclaim, and the love of audiences.
Like Auguste and Louis Lumière in 1895, or Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (2020), they are cinematic brothers, putting their family bond at the service of their creative power.
Joel & Ethan
COEN
the creators of Fargo, The Big
Lebowski, No Country for Old Men...
will receive the 18th Lumière Award in Lyon in October 2026!
The adjective “cult” seems to have been invented for them. While they have received a Palme d’Or, three Best Director Awards and a Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as four Oscars, it is above all the public’s enthusiasm, the viewers’ attachment to their films, and their impact on contemporary culture that have placed them among the brightest stars of cinema.
Extraordinary storytellers and masterful screenwriters, their sense of humor, their style, their command of narrative, the way they use music, as well as the ensemble of actors who surround them (including Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Jeff Bridges, Billy Bob Thornton, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Josh Brolin, or Tilda Swinton…): everything about these two artists is extraordinary, and every one of their films is an event.
In Lyon, the birthplace of the Lumière Cinematograph, cinematic brothers are cherished. The Lumière Festival and its extraordinary audience will be proud to celebrate “the” Coens!
The Lumière Award honors a personality for their entire body of work and the connection they have with the history of cinema. Over the years, it has become one of the most prestigious awards, recognized by the industry and the international press.
