Julianne Moore to Receive Kering Women in Motion Award at Cannes Film Festival

Italian filmmaker Margherita Spampinato will also receive an Emerging Talent Award at the May 17 awards presentation.

Julianne Moore is set to make a splash on the Croisette at this year’s Cannes.

Launched by the global luxury brand to support the work of women in cinema, Kering’s 2026 Women in Motion Award this year goes to Emmy-, Golden Globe-, and Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore at the Cannes Film Festival. The award “celebrates female artists whose careers and commitment have advanced the role of women both in cinema and in society,” per Kering.

She will receive the honor on May 17 at an awards ceremony as part of the festival. Italian filmmaker Margherita Spampinato will also receive the Emerging Talent Award, which includes a 50,000 euro grant to support her next feature.

“Julianne Moore fully embodies the spirit of Women In Motion. Through the consistency of her artistic choices, the depth and complexity she brings to her performances, and her longstanding dedication to advancing meaningful representation both on and off screen, she has helped redefine what it means to be a leading woman in cinema. Her career and her commitment clearly mirror the values Women In Motion has championed since its inception,” François-Henri Pinault, chairman of Kering, said.

Moore said, “I’m genuinely grateful for this recognition from Kering and the Festival de Cannes. Being part of Women In Motion’s legacy is incredibly meaningful to me. I’ve always believed that visibility matters, that the stories we choose to tell can widen the space for women, and for a richer diversity of voices, both on screen and behind the camera. Continuing to work together to amplify female and diverse voices and to support the next generation of creators helps build a cinema that is more open, more representative, while driving real change.”

Cannes president Iris Knoblock said, “Julianne Moore does not use cinema to reassure. For forty years, she has chosen characters who destabilize, who suffer without resolution, who refuse easy sympathy and in doing so, she has claimed territory on screen that did not exist before she walked into it. The Women in Motion Award recognizes not only what she has achieved, but what she has made possible for every actress who comes after her.”

Thierry Frémaux added, “Julianne Moore is one of the great actresses of contemporary cinema. Across an uncompromising and richly diverse filmography, she has built her work with remarkable intelligence and patience, delivering performances of rare emotional precision. Working with some of the most important filmmakers of our time, she brings to each role a profound sensitivity, an extraordinary sense of nuance, and a fearless engagement with complex characters. Film after film, she has portrayed women in all their strength, contradictions, and freedom, leaving an indelible mark on the history of cinema.”

Previous Women in Motion winners include Donna Langley, Jane Fonda, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon (both featured on this year’s “Thelma and Louise”-themed Cannes poster), Isabelle Huppert, Patty Jenkins, Gong Li, Salma Hayek, Viola Davis, and Michelle Yeoh.