Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) announced that George Clooney will receive the 51st Chaplin Award at a gala evening on Monday, April 27, 2026. One of Hollywood’s most influential figures, Clooney is widely admired for his multifaceted career as an actor, director, and producer, as well as for his global humanitarian work and reputation for humility, quick wit, and personal integrity.
“It was a true pleasure to welcome George Clooney to Film at Lincoln Center in September for the premiere of Jay Kelly, a highlight of the 63rd New York Film Festival,” said Daniel Battsek, FLC President. “We are honored to invite him back to celebrate a professional life that reflects such extraordinary range and purpose. From award-winning performances to standout producing work to acclaimed directing, George brings a distinctive blend of intelligence, craft, and social conscience to everything he does. His contributions continue to inspire audiences and artists around the world.”
Dan Stern, Chairman of the FLC Board of Directors, said, “George Clooney embodies a rare blend of artistry, generosity, humor, and integrity. His unmistakable on-screen charisma is matched by the excellence he brings behind the camera as a director and producer, consistently using his influence to champion emerging talent and shine a light on urgent humanitarian issues around the world. We are proud to present George with the 51st Chaplin Award, placing him among the cinematic luminaries who have received this honor over the last half-century.”
Clooney is celebrated for his prolific contributions to film and television, including wide-ranging creative achievements as an actor, writer, director, and producer. He has earned historic recognition, including two Academy Awards, with nominations in a record six different categories, as well as multiple Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and an AFI Life Achievement Award. His screen career spans widely praised performances in films such as Out of Sight, Syriana, O Brother Where Art Thou, Up in the Air, and the Oceans trilogy. He is equally acclaimed behind the camera, earning two Academy Award nominations for writing and one for directing.
Through his production companies—first Section Eight with Steven Soderbergh and later Smokehouse Pictures with Grant Heslov—Clooney has helped bring to life celebrated projects including Argo, The Ides of March, The Boys in the Boat, The Tender Bar, The Midnight Sky, Catch-22, and numerous major studio features. He continues to act in and produce high-profile projects, recently appearing in Jay Kelly, which premiered at the 63rd New York Film Festival, and producing Showtime’s The Agency. His work has extended to the stage as well, earning a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck, the first Broadway production to be broadcast live on CNN.
Equally notable is Clooney’s longstanding commitment to humanitarian advocacy. He has been an outspoken defender of the First Amendment and a leading voice in global human-rights campaigns, especially regarding the crises in Darfur and Sudan. Clooney’s efforts have included producing documentaries, addressing the United Nations Security Council, co-founding the “Not On Our Watch” initiative to prevent mass atrocities, and launching the Satellite Sentinel Project to monitor human-rights violations via satellite imagery. His activism has earned numerous honors, including the Peace Summit Award, designation as a U.N. Messenger of Peace, the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award. Whether advancing storytelling on screen or advocating for vulnerable communities around the world, Clooney has forged a career defined by artistic excellence and global engagement.
Presented each year at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Chaplin Award recognizes an individual’s significant contributions to the art of cinema. Past recipients have included Pedro Almodóvar, Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett, Spike Lee, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, and Gregory Peck (see complete list below). As Film at Lincoln Center’s major annual fundraiser, the Chaplin Award Gala sustains the nonprofit organization’s year-round programs—from film series and educational initiatives to marquee festivals such as the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films.
To secure your table or tickets for the full evening, including preferred seating at the 51st Chaplin Award Tribute and Gala dinner, contact galarsvp@filmlinc.org. Tribute-only tickets will go on sale in January.
Explore the history of the Chaplin Award Gala here, with a list of past honorees below.
Past Chaplin Award Gala Honorees:
- 1972 Charles Chaplin
- 1973 Fred Astaire
- 1974 Alfred Hitchcock
- 1975 Joanne Woodward & Paul Newman
- 1978 George Cukor
- 1979 Bob Hope
- 1980 John Huston
- 1981 Barbara Stanwyck
- 1982 Billy Wilder
- 1983 Laurence Olivier
- 1984 Claudette Colbert
- 1985 Federico Fellini
- 1986 Elizabeth Taylor
- 1987 Alec Guinness
- 1988 Yves Montand
- 1989 Bette Davis
- 1990 James Stewart
- 1991 Audrey Hepburn
- 1992 Gregory Peck
- 1993 Jack Lemmon
- 1994 Robert Altman
- 1995 Shirley MacLaine
- 1996 Clint Eastwood
- 1997 Sean Connery
- 1998 Martin Scorsese
- 1999 Mike Nichols
- 2000 Al Pacino
- 2001 Jane Fonda
- 2002 Francis Ford Coppola
- 2003 Susan Sarandon
- 2004 Michael Caine
- 2005 Dustin Hoffman
- 2006 Jessica Lange
- 2007 Diane Keaton
- 2008 Meryl Streep
- 2009 Tom Hanks
- 2010 Michael Douglas
- 2011 Sidney Poitier
- 2012 Catherine Deneuve
- 2013 Barbra Streisand
- 2014 Rob Reiner
- 2015 Robert Redford
- 2016 Morgan Freeman
- 2017 Robert De Niro
- 2018 Helen Mirren
- 2021 Spike Lee
- 2022 Cate Blanchett
- 2023 Viola Davis
- 2024 Jeff Bridges
- 2025 Pedro Almodóvar
The Chaplin Award Gala is generously supported by Media Partners The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter. American Airlines is the official airline of Film at Lincoln Center.