TIFF announces its final seven Tribute Award honourees

Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, is sharing the final list of honourees for the seventh annual TIFF Tribute Awards, the fundraising gala that celebrates outstanding contributions to cinema. Award-winning actor, producer, director, and musician Idris Elba will receive the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media; Kazu Hiro, the Academy Award–winning artist will receive the TIFF Variety Artisan Award; acclaimed German actor Nina Hoss and Hollywood star Channing Tatum will be presented with TIFF Tribute Performer Awards; Award–winning Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi and celebrated Inuk filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk will be presented with TIFF Special Tribute Awards; and Canadian icon Catherine O’Hara will receive the TIFF Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award. These seven will be honoured alongside the previously announced recipients: Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, HIKARI, and Lee Byung Hun. The TIFF Tribute Awards in partnership with Rolex, will take place on Sunday, September 7, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel, with Brendan Fraser serving as the Honorary Chair.

“The 2025 Tribute Award honourees represent the very best of what cinema can achieve,” said Bailey. “Hailing from different corners of the world, Idris Elba, Kazu Hiro, Nina Hoss, Zacharias Kunuk, Catherine O’Hara, Jafar Panahi, and Channing Tatum have created work that moves us, challenges us, and expands our understanding of the human experience. Their artistry and commitment to storytelling cross borders and cultures, inspiring audiences everywhere.”

The TIFF Tribute Awards gala is TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser and a world-class celebration of cinematic excellence. Proceeds support TIFF’s 50th edition campaign, Transform Together, advancing TIFF’s talent development, honouring visionary artists, and deepening community impact. Presented in partnership with Rolex, with support from RBC, Don Julio, and Fairmont Royal York.

2025 TIFF Tribute Awards Honourees

Idris Elba – TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media, presented by Anne-Marie Canning
Celebrated for his versatility and global impact, and a frequent presence at TIFF, Elba has brought some of his most acclaimed work to the Festival, including RocknRolla (TIFF ’08), Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (TIFF ’13), Beasts of No Nation (TIFF ’15), The Mountain Between Us (TIFF ’17), and Molly’s Game (TIFF ’17). He returns to TIFF this year with his directorial debut, the World Premiere of his short film Dust to Dreams, starring Seal. Known for his iconic roles in The Wire, Luther, and The Harder They Fall, Elba made history in 2016 as the first male actor to win two SAG Awards in one night. Beyond the screen, he is a dedicated advocate for social change, having co-founded the Elba Hope Foundation, which focuses on advancing equity through youth advocacy, opportunity access, employability, and education across the UK, Africa, and the United States. Previously bestowed upon such visionaries as Angelina Jolie, Pedro Almodóvar, Mira Nair, and Alanis Obomsawin, the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media is presented by Anne-Marie Canning and recognizes leadership in creating a union between social impact and cinema.

Kazu Hiro – TIFF Variety Artisan Award
Kazu Hiro is a prosthetic makeup designer and contemporary hyperrealist sculptor. He is a self-taught pioneer in the craft of using contemporary materials to create the illusion of life, and as an early pioneer in Japan, Kazu founded one of the country’s first companies of its kind, Makeup and Effects Unlimited, and worked with director Akira Kurosawa in the production of Rhapsody in August. In 1996, Kazu was sponsored by Rick Baker to work on Men In Black which prompted a decade-long collaboration with Baker where Kazu was project supervisor and makeup artist. In 2007, Kazu started KTS Effects Inc. in Los Angeles. In 2018, Kazu received numerous awards and nominations, including the Academy Award for Best Makeup & Hairstyling, for his work in Darkest Hour to help Gary Oldman portray Winston Churchill, and again in 2020 for his work in Bombshell. He received further recognition in 2024 for his work on Maestro to help Bradley Cooper portray Leonard Bernstein, and he will be coming to TIFF for his work transforming Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine. The TIFF Variety Artisan Award recognizes a distinguished creative who has excelled at their craft and made an outstanding contribution to cinema and entertainment. Previous recipients of the TIFF Variety Artisan Award include Clément Ducol and Camille (2024), Łukasz Żal (2023), Hildur Guðnadóttir (2022), Ari Wegner (2021), Terence Blanchard (2020), and Roger Deakins (2019).

Nina Hoss – TIFF Tribute Performer Award
Renowned for her emotionally resonant portrayals of complex women, Nina Hoss returns to the Festival for the World Premiere of Hedda, Nia DaCosta’s modern reimagining of Ibsen’s classic, in which she stars as Eileen Lovborg. A TIFF alum, Hoss has previously attended with The White Masai (TIFF ’05), Phoenix (TIFF ’14), for which she won Best Actress from the Toronto Film Critics Association, and The Audition (TIFF ’19), which earned her Best Actress at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Her international film credits include Tár, A Most Wanted Man, Barbara, and Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World. Her television credits include Homeland, Jack Ryan, and The Defeated.

Channing Tatum – TIFF Tribute Performer Award, presented by Cineplex
Known for his action roles, critically acclaimed dramatic performances such as Foxcatcher (TIFF ’14), and career highlights including Step Up, Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street, The Hateful Eight, and Logan Lucky, Channing Tatum has consistently showcased remarkable versatility. His latest performance is in Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman, having its World Premiere at TIFF on September 6, and based on the true story of former United States Army Reserve officer Jeffrey Manchester, who escapes prison and secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us.

The TIFF Tribute Performer Award recognizes an overall body of work. Past recipients are Amy Adams and Jharrel Jerome (2024), Colman Domingo and Vicky Krieps (2023), Brendan Fraser and the ensemble cast of My Policeman (2022), Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch (2021), Kate Winslet and Sir Anthony Hopkins (2020), and Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix (2019).

Jafar Panahi – TIFF Special Tribute Award
Panahi returns to TIFF with Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, his first film following his most recent prison sentence. Panahi’s films, including The Circle (TIFF ’00), Crimson Gold (TIFF ’03), Offside (TIFF ’06), and Jafar Panahi's Taxi (TIFF ’15) have won major awards on the festival circuit, often spotlighting social issues. Despite a 20-year ban on filmmaking imposed in 2010, he continued to create clandestinely, earning global recognition and support. His debut feature The White Balloon (TIFF ’95) won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes, launching a career marked by international acclaim and domestic censorship. Born in Mianeh, Iran, Panahi studied film at Iran Broadcasting University before working as Abbas Kiarostami’s assistant on Through the Olive Trees (1994).

Zacharias Kunuk – TIFF Special Tribute Award
Kunuk returns to the Festival with his latest enthralling imagining of ancient Inuit stories in Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband). Over a groundbreaking career spanning more than four decades, Kunuk has become renowned for telling stories from an Inuit perspective. His landmark film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (TIFF ’01) won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes and was voted the Best Canadian Film of All Time by the Toronto International Film Festival Critic Poll in 2015. He has premiered several works at the Festival, including The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (TIFF ’06), Maliglutit (Searchers) (TIFF ’16), and One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk (TIFF ’19), which also headlined the Canadian Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale. His first animated film, Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice, won the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film at TIFF ’21. In recognition of his cultural and artistic contributions, Kunuk was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2015 and an Officer of the Order of Nunavut in 2019.

Three Special Tribute Awards will be presented this year. Kunuk and Panahi join (the recently announced) Lee Byung Hun as recipients of this prestigious award, which recognizes an individual who has made an extraordinary and unique contribution to the world of film, leaving a lasting legacy through their dedication and artistry. Previous recipients include Zhao Tao (2024), Andy Lau (2023), Dionne Warwick (2021), and David Foster (2019).

Catherine O’Hara — TIFF Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award, presented by The Budman Family
A comedic legend, Catherine O’Hara brings fearless versatility to comedy and drama alike. From her groundbreaking work on SCTV to iconic roles in Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and as the over-the-top matriarch Moira Rose on the Canadian hit series Schitt’s Creek, she has shaped pop culture with her unforgettable characters and incredible wit. O’Hara attended the Festival with the following films: For Your Consideration (TIFF ’06), Penelope (TIFF ’06), The Right Kind of Wrong (TIFF ’13), and The Wild Robot (TIFF ’24). Recently starring in Seth Rogen’s The Studio (2025), she continues to champion Canadian film and television while inspiring generations of performers. Introduced in 2023, this award recognizes Canadians in the film industry who have made a global impact with their careers. Past recipients include David Cronenberg (2024) and Shawn Levy (2023).

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025. Stay tuned for more TIFF announcements.