George Clooney has been announced by Film at Lincoln Center as the organization’s recipient of the 2026 Chaplin Award, which last year went to Pedro Almodóvar. He will receive the career-tributing award on Monday, April 27, 2026.
Clooney needs no introduction as a multihyphenate who has starred in films and television series and directed and produced many of the same. He received a 2013 Best Picture Academy Award for producing “Argo” via his Smokehouse Pictures banner, which he runs with Grant Heslov, and a 2006 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the politically charged oil-industry thriller “Syriana.” We know him for his charm and charisma, but also the “Ocean’s Eleven” films, his work with the Coen Brothers, his longtime stint on “ER,” and directing films from “Good Night, and Good Luck” to “The Ides of March.” Speaking of New York City-centric honors, he also starred in a Broadway version of “Good Night” as Edward R. Murrow earlier in 2025.
Now, he’s back in the Oscar race for his leading role in Noah Baumbach’s Netflix production “Jay Kelly,” starring as a fading-out actor trying to reclaim his legacy and his relationship with his daughter on the heels of a career tribute in Europe.
“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, Film at Lincoln Center’s 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 also the recipient of the 2018 AFI Life Achievement Award. His onscreen career also spans films such as “Out of Sight,” “O Brother Where Art Thou,” “Up in the Air,” and more. Through his production companies — first, Section Eight with Steven Soderbergh, and later, Smokehouse Pictures with Heslov — Clooney has helped bring projects including “Argo,” “The Ides of March,” “The Boys in the Boat,” “The Tender Bar,” “The Midnight Sky,” and “Catch-22” to life.
Clooney is an outspoken defender of the First Amendment and a leading voice in global human rights campaigns. Expect many of Clooney’s peers and admirers to come out to New York for onstage tributes in April.
The Chaplin Award recognizes an individual’s significant contributions to film. Past recipients have included Pedro Almodóvar, Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett, Spike Lee, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, and Gregory Peck. The fundraising event helps sustain nonprofit Film at Lincoln Center’s year-round programs.