Berlinale 2026: Honorary Golden Bear to Actress Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh is considered one of the most versatile and influential actresses of her generation. With a career spanning four decades and multiple continents, she has made a lasting impact on international cinema.
The Berlin International Film Festival will award the 2026 Honorary Golden Bear to Academy Award–winning actress Michelle Yeoh in recognition of her outstanding achievements in film and cinema. The award will be presented at the Opening Ceremony at the Berlinale Palast on February 12, 2026.
Michelle Yeoh is considered one of the most versatile and influential actresses of her generation. With a career spanning four decades and multiple continents, she has made a lasting impact on international cinema.
Michelle Yeoh served as a member of the Berlinale International Jury in 1999. Since then, she has captivated audiences at the Berlinale and around the world time and again with work such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and more recently the phenomenon that was Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Reflecting on her connection to the festival, Yeoh shares: “Berlin has always held a special place in my heart. 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.”
“Michelle Yeoh is a visionary artist and performer whose work defies boundaries ‒ whether geographic, linguistic, or cinematic,” says Festival Director Tricia Tuttle. “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.”
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Michelle Yeoh rose to prominence with films such as Yes, Madam, Royal Warriors, Police Story III, and Wing Chun, becoming one of the leading female icons of Asian action and martial arts cinema. Her remarkable physicality, charisma, and on-screen presence made her a favourite with audiences far beyond Hong Kong.
She achieved international breakthrough in 1997 with her role as Chinese secret agent Wai Lin in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Her iconic performance in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (directed by Ang Lee) and her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once (directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) exemplify Yeoh’s commitment to artistic excellence, cultural bridge-building, and female empowerment on screen.
For Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle Yeoh was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2023 ‒ becoming the first actress of Asian descent to win in this category. This historic moment marked a significant milestone for the representation of Asian artists in global cinema.
