Michelle Yeoh to Receive Berlin Film Festival’s Honorary Golden Bear

Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh will be awarded an honorary Golden Bear at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival.

The “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Wicked” star will be lauded at the fest’s opening ceremony on Feb. 12 for her contributions to cinema. Yeoh served on the Berlinale international jury in 1999 and has presented several films there, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022), which won her the Academy Award for best actress.

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“Berlin has always held a special place in my heart,” Yeoh said in a statement. “It was one of the first festivals to embrace my work with such warmth and generosity. Returning after all these years, in recognition of my journey in cinema, feels truly meaningful.” 

Added festival director Tricia Tuttle: “Michelle Yeoh is a visionary artist and performer whose work defies boundaries — whether geographic, linguistic or cinematic. Her commanding presence, fearless artistic choices and unmistakable style have left a lasting impression on generations of filmmakers and fans at the Berlinale and across the globe.” 

Yeoh first earned recognition for Hong Kong action films like “Yes, Madam” (1985), “Magnificent Warriors” (1987), “Police Story 3: Super Cop” (1992) and “Wing Chun” (1994), in which she performed all her own stunts. She broke through globally in 1997 with her role as secret agent Wai Lin in the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies” alongside Pierce Brosnan and continued to captivate audiences in Ang Lee’s epic martial arts romance “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” in 2000. After supporting roles in films like the megahit “Crazy Rich Asians” and Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Yeoh became the first performer of Asian descent to take home the Oscar for best actress with “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Yeoh is currently gearing up to reprise her role as Madame Morrible in “Wicked: For Good,” which releases in theaters on Nov. 21. Up next, she will lead the “Blade Runner 2099” series for Amazon Prime Video.

Berlin Film Festival is set to run from Feb. 12 to 22, 2026.