2023 AWARD RECIPIENTS

Sarah Polley

Director of the Year Award

Austin Butler

Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor

Danielle Deadwyler

Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress

2022 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Kristen Stewart – Spotlight Award, Actress
Penélope Cruz – International Star Award, Actress
Jane Campion – Director of the Year Award
Jessica Chastain – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Belfast – Vanguard Award: Writer/Director Kenneth Branagh, Cast Includes: Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill.
Jennifer Hudson – Chairman’s Award
Nicole Kidman – Career Achievement Award
Andrew Garfield – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Lady Gaga – Icon Award
King Richard – Ensemble Performance Award: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Jon Bernthal and Tony Goldwyn.

Back to top

2021 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Carey Mulligan – International Star Award, Actress
Gary Oldman – Chairman’s Award
Chloé Zhao – Director Of The Year Award
Riz Ahmed – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 – Vanguard Award: Writer and Director Aaron Sorkin, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong and more.
Leslie Odom, Jr. – Spotlight Award, Actor
Anthony Hopkins – Career Achievement Award
Andra Day – Breakthrough Performance Award
Viola Davis – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Daniel Kaluuya – International Star Award, Actor
Yuh-Jung Youn – Spotlight Award, Actress

Back to top

2020 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Host – Mary Hart

Renée Zellweger – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Rupert Goold

Joaquin Phoenix – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Todd Phillips

Charlize Theron – International Star Award, Actress
Presented by: Jay Roach

Martin Scorcese – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Robert De Niro

Jennifer Lopez – Spotlight Award, Actress
Presented by: Lorene Scafaria

Antonio Banderas – International Star Award, Actor
Presented by: Salma Hayek

Laura Dern – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: Noah Baumbach

Zach Gottsagen – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Michael Schwartz & Tyler Nilson

Cynthia Erivo – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Lena Waithe

Adam Driver – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Laura Dern

Jamie Foxx – Spotlight Award, Actor
Presented by: Bryan Stevenson

Quentin Tarantino – Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Greta Gerwig

Back to top

2019 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Rami Malek – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Christian Slater

Melissa McCarthy – Spotlight Award, Actress
Presented by: Richard E. Grant

Green Book – Vanguard Award – Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini; Peter Farrelly, Director; Kwame Parker, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Producers
Presented by: Jim Carey

Alfonso Cuarón – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Gary Oldman

Bradley Cooper – Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Gary Oldman

Regina King – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Barry Jenkins

Spike Lee – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: John David Washington & Adam Driver

Olivia Coleman – Desert Palm Achievement Award
Presented by: Emma Stone

Timothée Chalamet – Spotlight Award, Actor
Presented by: Laura Dern

Mary Poppins Returns – Ensemble Performance Award – Nethanael Saleh, Emily Blunt, Joel Dawnson, Pixie Davies
Presented by: Rob Marshall

Back to top

2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Gal Gadot – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Patty Jenkins

Timothée Chalamet – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Armie Hammer

Sam Rockwell – Spotlight Award
Presented by: Colin Farrell

Gary Oldman – Desert Palm Achievement Award
Presented by: Peter Fonda

Allison Janney – Spotlight Award
Presented by: Sebastian Stan

Holly Hunter – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: Kumail Nanjiani

The Shape of Water – Vanguard Award – Sally Hawkins; Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Guillermo Del Toro, Alexandre Desplat, & J. Miles Dale
Presented by: Salma Hayek

Jessica Chastain – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Aaron Sorkin

Saoirse Ronan – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Laurie Metcalf

Mary J. Blige – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Common

Willem Dafoe – Icon Award
Presented by: Sean Baker

Back to top

2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Ruth Negga – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Jeff Nichols & Joel Edgerton

Mahershala Ali – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Janelle Monae

Nicole Kidman – International Star Award
Presented by: Dev Patel

Andrew Garfield – Spotlight Award
Presented by: Laura Dern

Hidden Figures – Ensemble Performance Award – Octavia Spencer, Kirsten Dunst, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monae, Glen Powell, Kimberly Quinn, Jim Parsons, & Aldis Hodge
Presented by: Pharrell Williams

Natalie Portman – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Tom Hanks

Casey Affleck – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Sir Ben Kingsley

Amy Adams – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Andrew Garfield

Annette Bening – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: Mike Mills

La La Land – Vanguard Award – Ryan Gosling, Justin Hurwitz, & Damien Chazelle
Presented by: Jane Lynch

Tom Hanks – Icon Award
Presented by: Laura Linney

Back to top

2016 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Alicia Vikander – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Amber Heard

Tom McCarthy – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Michael Keaton

Brie Larson – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Lenny Abrahamson & Jacob Tremblay

Rooney Mara – Spotlight Award, Actress
Presented by: Ben Mendelsohn

Michael Fassbender – International Star Award, Actor
Presented by: Kate Winslet

Saorise Ronan – International Star Award, Actress
Presented by: Paul Dano

Bryan Cranston – Spotlight Award, Actor
Presented by: Helen Mirren

Johnny Depp – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Scott Cooper

The Big Short – Ensemble Performance Award – Christian Bale, Finn Wittrock, Steve Carell, & Jeremy Strong
Presented by: Adam McKay

Cate Blanchett – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Saoirse Ronan

Matt Damon – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Ridley Scott

Back to top

2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Richard Linklater – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Shirley MacLaine

Reese Witherspoon – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Laura Dern

Robert Duvall – Icon Award
Presented by: Robert Downey, Jr.

Alejandro González IÑárritu – Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Michael Keaton

The Imitation Game – Ensemble Performance Award – Matthew Beard, Benedict Cumberbatch, Allen Leech, & Alex Lawther
Presented by: Morton Tyldum

Eddie Redmayne – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Steve Carell

Rosamund Pike – Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress
Presented by: Kim Dickens & Carrie Coon

David Oyelowo – Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor
Presented by: Brad Pitt

J.K. Simmons – Spotlight Award
Presented by: Jason Reitman

Back to top

2014 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Thomas Newman – Frederick Loewe Award For Film Composing
Presented by: John Lee Hancock & Colin Farrell

Steve McQueen – Director Of The Year
Presented by: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Lupita Nyong’o – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Alfre Woodard

Bruce Dern – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: Jane Fonda

Julia Roberts – Spotlight Award
Presented by: Ewan McGregor

Matthew McConaughey – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Gary Oldman

U2 – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Mary Bono, Idris Elba & Naomi Harris

American Hustle – Ensemble Performance Award – Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Rohm, Bradley Cooper & Jack Jones
Presented by: David O. Russell

Sandra Bullock – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Gena Rowlands

Tom Hanks – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Julia Roberts

Meryl Streep – Icon Award
Presented by: Margo Martindale

Back to top

2013 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Robert Zemeckis – Director Of The Year
Presented by: Tom Hanks

Mychael Danna – Frederick Loewe Award For Film Composing
Presented by: Ang Lee

Helen Hunt – Spotlight Award
Presented by: John Hawkes

Bradley Cooper – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: David O. Russell

Helen Mirren – International Star Award
Presented by: Tom Hooper

Argo – Ensemble Performance Award – Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, & Bryan Cranston
Presented by: Tony Mendez

Naomi Watts – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Tom Holland

Sally Field – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: Martin Sheen

Richard Gere – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Diane Lane

Tom Hooper – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Mary Bono & Eddie Redmayne

Back to top

2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Octavia Spencer – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Melissa McCarthy

Howard Shore – Frederick Loewe Award For Film Composing
Presented by: Mary Hart

Jessica Chastain – Spotlight Award
Presented by: Al Pacino

Michael Hazanavicius – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Berenice Bejo, Jean Dujardin & Mary Bono

Young Adult – Vanguard Award for Creative Ensemble – Charlize Theron, Jason Reitman, Diablo Cody & Patton Oswalt
Presented by: Olivia Wilde

Stephen Daldry – Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Tom Hanks & Thomas Horn

Gary Oldman – International Star Award
Presented by: Adrien Brody

Michelle Williams – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Kenneth Branagh

Brad Pitt – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Jonah Hill

Glenn Close – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: Jeff Goldblum

George Clooney – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Shailene Woodley & Grant Heslov

Back to top

2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Jennifer Lawrence – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Oliver Stone

Carey Mulligan – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Andrew Garfield

Javier Bardem – International Star Award
Presented by: Natalie Portman

Diane Warren – Frederick Lowe Music Award
Presented by: Taylor Hackford

David O. Russell – Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Mark Wahlberg & Amy Adams

Colin Firth – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Helen Mirren

Danny Boyle – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: James Franco

Natalie Portman – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Jake Gyllenhaal

Ben Affleck – Chairman’s Award
Presented by: Amy Ryan

The Social Network – Ensemble Performance Award – Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Brenda Song, Rooney Mara, Rashida Jones, Armie Hammer, Josh Pence & Douglas Urbanski
Presented by: David Fincher

Robert Duvall – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: Aaron Eckhart

Back to top

2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Anna Kendrick – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Ivan Reitman

Jeremny Renner – Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor
Presented by: Shoreh Aghdashloo

Mariah Carey – Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress
Presented by: Lee Daniels

T Bone Burnett – Frederick Lowe Award for Film Composing
Presented by: Sean Penn

Jason Reitman – Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Norman Jewison

Jeff Bridges – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Michelle Pfeiffer

Quentin Tarantino – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Diablo Cody

Marion Cotillard – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Rob Marshall

Morgan Freeman – Career Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Clint Eastwood

Helen Mirren – Career Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Morgan Freeman

Back to top

2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Dakota Fanning – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Paul Bettany

Alexandre Desplat – Fredrick Loewe Award For Film Composing
Presented by: Taraji P. Henson

Freida Pinto – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: James Cromwell

Gus Van Zandt – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Mary Bono on VT from D.C. & Josh Brolin

Amy Adams – Spotlight Award
Presented by: John Patrick Shanley

Anne Hathaway – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Rosemarie DeWitt

Ron Howard – Director’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented by: Frank Langella

Sean Penn – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Cleve Jones

Dustin Hoffman – Chairman’s Award for Career Achievement
Presented by: Ben Stiller

Revolutionary Road – Ensemble Performance Award – Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, Michael Shannon, Zoe Kazan & David Barbour
Presented by: Monica Yates

Clint Eastwood – Career Achievement Award
Presented by: Donald Sutherland

Back to top

2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Nikki Blonski – Rising Star Award, Actress
Presented by: Adam Shankman & Ricki Lake

James Newton Howard – Fredrick Loewe Award For Film Composing
Presented by: Ed Zwick

Emile Hirsch – Rising Star Award, Actor
Presented by: Laura Linney

Joe Wright – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Jamie Foxx & Mary Bono

Daniel Day Lewis – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Paul Thomas Anderson

Juno – Chairman’s Vanguard Award – Jason Reitman, Diablo Cody, Ellen/Elliot Page, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney & JK Simmons
Presented by: Drew Barrymore

Marion Cotillard – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Daniel Day Lewis

Sean Penn – Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Norman Jewison

Jerry Weintraub – SAG Foundation Patron of the Arts Award
Presented by: Elliott Gould & Bruce Willis

Halle Berry – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Joe Singleton

Hairspray – Ensemble Performance Award – John Travolta, Zac Efron, Allison Janney, Nikki Blonsky, Amanda Bynes, Elijah Kelley & Brittany Snow
Presented by: Stockard Channing

Back to top

2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Jessica Biel – Rising Star Award, Actress
Presented by: Sienna Miller

Little Miss Sunshine – Chairman’s Vanguard Award – Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Michael Arndt, Alan Arkin & Abigail Breslin
Presented by: Jon Favreau

Philip Glass – Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing
Presented by: Danny Elfman

Alejandro González IÑárritu – Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Morgan Freeman

Kate Winslet – Desert Palm Achievement Award
Presented by: Todd Field

Babel – Ensemble Performance Award – Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, Pinko Kikuchi & Adriana Barraza
Presented by: Mary Hart

Todd Field – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Sissy Spacek

Cate Blanchett – Career Achievement in Acting Award
Presented by: Alejandro González IÑárritu

Sydney Pollack – SAG Foundation Patron of the Arts Award
Presented by: Lawrence Fishburne

Back to top

2006 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Felicity Huffman – Breakthrough Performance Award
Presented by: Fionnula Flanagan

Michael London – Producer of the Year Award
Presented by: Virginia Madsen

Terrence Howard – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Paul Haggis & Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges

David Cronenberg – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Viggo Mortensen

Charlize Theron – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Keanu Reeves

Thomas Newman – Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing
Presented by: Andrew Stanton

Jake Gyllenhaal – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor
Presented by: Peter Sarsgaard

Shirley MacLaine – Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented by: Kathy Bates

Back to top

2005 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Bryce Dallas Howard – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Adrien Brody

Alexander Payne- Director of the Year Award
Presented by: Virginia Madsen

Laura Linney – Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress
Presented by: Bill Condon

Howard Shore – Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing
Presented by: Javier Bardem & Adam Scott

Liam Neeson – Desert Palm Achievement Award
Presented by: Lynn Redgrave

Kevin Spacey – Sonny Bono Visionary Award for Acting, Producing And Directing
Presented by: Mary Bono

Samuel L. Jackson – Career Achievement Award in Acting
Presented by: Kevin Spacey

Nicole Kidman – The Chairman’s Award For Distinguished Achievement In The Arts
Presented by: Alejandro Amenabar

Kirk Douglas – Lifetime Achievement Award In The Arts And Humanities
Presented by: Angelica Houston Live & Michael Douglas Via VT

Back to top

2004 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Sidney Sheldon – Sonny Bono Visionary Award
Presented by: Mary Bono

Jim Sheridan – International Filmmaker Award for Directing & Producing
Presented by: Samantha Morton & Djimon Hounsou

Scarlett Johansson – Rising Star Award
Presented by: Mike Medavoy

Danny Elfman – Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing
Presented by: Brett Ratner

Richard D. Zanuck – The Lifetime Achievement Award in Film Production
Presented by: William Friedkin

Anthony Minghella – International Filmmaker Award for Writing and Directing
Presented by: Mary Bono

Naomi Watts – Desert Palm Achievement Award
Presented by: Mark Ruffalo

Kevin Costner – Career Achievement In The Art Of Cinema
Presented by: Mary McDonnell

Back to top

2003 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Conrad Hall (award Accepted By Vilmos Zsigmond) – Career Achievement Award In Cinematography
Presented by: Steven Zaillian

Stephen Daldry – International Film Makers Award
Presented by: Allison Janney

Michel LeGrand – Frederick Loewe Award
Presented by: Quincy Jones

Mace Neufeld – Career Achievement Award In Producing
Presented by: Phillip Noyce & James Cromwell

Lynn Redgrave – Career Achievement In Acting
Presented by: Vanessa Redgrave

Franco Zeffirelli – Career Achievement In Directing
Presented by: Placido Domingo Via Vt & Lily Tomlin Live

Back to top

2002 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Film Awards Gala

Arthur Hiller – Director’s Achievement Award
Presented by: Red Buttons

Hans Zimmer – Frederick Loewe Award
Presented by: Mary Bono Live And Jerry Bruckheimer & Ridley Scott Via Vt

Bruno Delbonnel – Da Vinci Award For Cinematography
Presented by: Vilmos Zsigmond

Irwin Winkler – Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented by: Val Kilmer

Andy Garcia – Golden Palm Award
Presented by: Jerry Weintraub

Back to top