The Palme d’Or (French pronunciation: [palm Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival.
It was introduced in 1955 by the festival’s organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival’s highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film.
In 1964, The Palme d’Or was replaced again by the Grand Prix, before being reintroduced in 1975.
The Palme d’Or is widely considered one of the film industry’s most prestigious awards.
In 1954, the festival decided to present an award annually, titled the Grand Prix of the International Film Festival, with a new design each year from a contemporary artist.
The festival’s board of directors invited several jewelers to submit designs for a palm, in tribute to the coat of arms of the city of Cannes, evoking the famous legend of Saint Honorat and the palm trees lining the famous Promenade de la Croisette.
The original design by Parisian jeweler Lucienne Lazon, inspired by sketch by director Jean Cocteau, had the beveled lower extremity of the stalk forming a heart, and the pedestal a sculpture in terracotta by the artist Sébastien.
In 1955, the first Palme d’Or was awarded to Delbert Mann for his film Marty.
From 1964 to 1974, the festival temporarily resumed a Grand Prix.
In 1975, the Palme d’Or was reintroduced and has since remained the festival’s symbol, awarded each year to the director of the winning film.
It’s presented in a case of pure red Morocco leather lined with white suede.
As of 2021, Jane Campion and Julia Ducournau are the only female directors to win the Palme d’Or (for The Piano and Titane, respectively).
However, 2013, when Blue Is the Warmest Color won the Palme d’Or, the Spielberg-headed jury awarded it to the film’s actresses Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux as well as director Abdellatif Kechiche, the only time multiple Palme d’Or trophies have been awarded.
The jury decided to present it to the actresses as well due to a Cannes policy forbidding the Palme d’Or-winning film from receiving any additional awards, which would have prevented the jury from recognizing the actresses separately.
Of the unorthodox decision, Spielberg said, “Had the casting been 3% wrong, [the film] wouldn’t have worked like it did for us”. Kechiche later auctioned off his Palme d’Or trophy to fund his new feature film, and, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, expressed dissatisfaction that the festival had awarded multiple trophies. He said he felt they had “publicly insulted” him by doing it, and that “liberating myself from this Palme d’Or is a way of washing my hands of this sorry affair.”
Since its reintroduction, the prize has been redesigned several times. At the beginning of the 1980s, the rounded shape of the pedestal, bearing the palm has gradually transformed to become pyramidal in 1984.
In 1992, Thierry de Bourqueney redesigned the Palme and its pedestal in hand-cut crystal.
In 1997, Caroline Scheufele redesigned the statuette; since then, it has been manufactured by the Swiss jeweler firm Chopard. The palm is made from 4.16 oz (118 g) of 18-carat yellow gold while the branch’s base forms a small heart. The Palme d’or rests on a dainty crystal cushion shaped like an emerald-cut diamond. A single piece of cut crystal forms a cushion for the palm, which is hand-cast into a wax mold and now presented in a case of blue Morocco leather. In 1998, Theo Angelopoulos was the first director to win the Palme d’or as it appears today, for his film Eternity and a Day.
The presentation of the 2014 Palme d’Or to Winter Sleep, a Turkish film by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, occurred during the 100th anniversary year of Turkish cinema. On receiving the award, Ceylan dedicated it to the “young people” involved in Turkey’s ongoing political unrest, and the workers killed in the Soma mine disaster, which occurred on the day before the commencement of the awards event.
In 2017, the award was redesigned to celebrate the festival’s 70th anniversary. The diamonds were provided by ethical supplier certified by the Responsible Jewlery Council.
The 2020 Cannes Film Festival was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 56 films were announced as official selections by the festival, but no awards were presented.
Winners
1939–1945 The inaugural Cannes Film Festival was planned to be held in 1939, but it was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Second World War.
The festival was not inaugurated until after the war.
Sixty-three years later, the organizers of the 2002 festival assembled a jury of six members, including Dieter Kosslick and Alberto Barbera, to watch 7 of the 12 features which had been entered into the 1939 competition: Goodbye, Mr. Chips, La Loi du Nord, Lenin in 1918, The Four Feathers, The Wizard of Oz, Union Pacific, and Boefje.
Union Pacific by Cecil B. DeMille was retrospectively voted the winner of the 1939 Palme d’Or.
Awarded as “Grand Prix du Festival International du Film”
1946 (1st)
Brief Encounter David Lean UK
The Last Chance, Leopold Lindtberg Switzerland
The Lost Weekend Billy Wilder US
María Candelaria Emilio Fernández Mexico
Men Without Wings, František Čáp Czechoslovakia
Neecha Nagar Chetan Anand India
Pastoral Symphony La symphonie pastorale, Jean Delannoy France
The Red Meadows, Bodil Ipsen & Lau Lauritzen, Jr. Denmark
Rome, Open City Roma, città aperta Roberto Rossellini Italy
Torment Hets Alf Sjöberg, Sweden
The Turning Point, Fridrikh Ermler Soviet Union, Awarded as “Grand Prix”
1947 (2nd)
Antoine and Antoinette (Best Psychological & Love Film) Antoine et Antoinette Jacques Becker France
Crossfire (Best Social Film) Edward Dmytryk United States[28]
The Damned (Best Adventure & Crime Film) Les Maudits René Clément France
Dumbo (Best Animation Design) Ben Sharpsteen US
Ziegfeld Follies (Best Musical Comedy) Vincente Minnelli, US
1948 No festival due to budgetary problems.
1949 (3rd)
The Third Man Carol Reed United Kingdom
1950 No festival due to budgetary problems.
1951 (4th)
Miracle in Milan # Miracolo a Milano Vittorio De Sica Italy[34]
Miss Julie # Fröken Julie Alf Sjöberg Sweden[35]
1952 (5th)
Othello # Orson Welles Morocco[36]
Two Cents Worth of Hope # Due soldi di speranza Renato Castellani Italy
1953 (6th)
The Wages of Fear Le salaire de la peur, Henri-Georges Clouzot France
1954 (7th)
Gate of Hell, Teinosuke Kinugasa Japan, Awarded as “Palme d’Or”
1955
(8th)
Marty § Delbert Mann United States[40]
1956
(9th)
The Silent World Le monde du silence Jacques Cousteau & Louis Malle France[41]
1957
(10th)
Friendly Persuasion William Wyler United States[42]
1958
(11th)
The Cranes Are Flying Летят журавли Mikhail Kalatozov Soviet Union[43]
1959
(12th)
Black Orpheus § Orfeu Negro Marcel Camus France[44]
1960
(13th)
La Dolce Vita § Federico Fellini Italy[45]
1961
(14th)
The Long Absence # § Une aussi longue absence Henri Colpi France[46]
Viridiana # § Luis Buñuel Spain[47]
1962
(15th)
O Pagador de Promessas § Anselmo Duarte Brazil[48]
1963
(16th)
The Leopard § Il gattopardo Luchino Visconti Italy[49]
Awarded as “Grand Prix du Festival International du Film”
1964
(17th)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Les parapluies de Cherbourg Jacques Demy France[50]
1965
(18th)
The Knack …and How to Get It Richard Lester United Kingdom[51]
1966
(19th)
The Birds, the Bees and the Italians # Signore e signori Pietro Germi Italy[52]
A Man and a Woman # Un homme et une femme Claude Lelouch France[53]
1967
(20th)
Blowup Michelangelo Antonioni United Kingdom[54]
1968
(21st)
No award because the festival was cancelled midway through to show solidarity with the students and workers who were demonstrating in what became known as the May 68 movement.[32]
1969
(22nd)
If…. Lindsay Anderson United Kingdom[55]
1970
(23rd)
MASH Robert Altman United States[56]
1971
(24th)
The Go-Between Joseph Losey United Kingdom[57]
1972
(25th)
The Mattei Affair # § Il caso Mattei Francesco Rosi Italy[58]
The Working Class Goes to Heaven # § La classe operaia va in paradiso Elio Petri Italy[59]
1973 (26th)
The Hireling # Alan Bridges UK
Scarecrow # Jerry Schatzberg US
1974 (27th)
The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola, US, “Palme d’Or”
1975 (28th)
Chronicle of the Years of Fire Chronique des années de braise Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina Algeria
1976 (29th)
Taxi Driver Martin Scorsese United States[64]
1977 (30th)
Padre Padrone Paolo and Vittorio Taviani Italy[65]
1978 (31st)
The Tree of Wooden Clogs, Ermanno Olmi Italy
1979 (32nd): Tie
Apocalypse Now # Francis Ford Coppola United States[67]
The Tin Drum # Die Blechtrommel Volker Schlöndorff West Germany, France
1980 (33rd)
All That Jazz # Bob Fosse US
Kagemusha, Akira Kurosawa Japan
1981
(34th)
Man of Iron Człowiek z żelaza Andrzej Wajda Poland
1982
(35th)
Missing # § Costa-Gavras United States[72]
Yol # § Yılmaz Güney & Şerif Gören Turkey
1983 (36th)
The Ballad of Narayama, Shohei Imamura, Japan
1984
(37th)
Paris, Texas § Wim Wenders West Germany, France[75]
1985
(38th)
When Father Was Away on Business § Emir Kusturica Yugoslavia
1986
(39th)
The Mission Roland Joffé UK
1987 (40th)
Under the Sun of Satan § Sous le soleil de Satan Maurice Pialat France
1988
(41st)
Pelle the Conqueror Pelle Erobreren Bille August Denmark
1989
(42nd)
Sex, Lies, and Videotape Steven Soderbergh United States[79]
1990
(43rd)
Wild at Heart David Lynch United States[80]
1991
(44th)
Barton Fink § Joel Coen United States[81]
1992
(45th)
The Best Intentions Den goda viljan Bille August Denmark, Sweden[82]
1993
(46th)
Farewell My Concubine # 霸王別姬 Chen Kaige Hong Kong[83]
The Piano # Jane Campion New Zealand, Australia, France[84]
1994
(47th)
Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino United States[85]
1995
(48th)
Underground Подземље Emir Kusturica France[86]
1996
(49th)
Secrets & Lies Mike Leigh France, United Kingdom[87]
1997
(50th)
The Eel # うなぎ Shohei Imamura Japan[88]
Taste of Cherry # طعم گيلاس Abbas Kiarostami Iran
1998
(51st)
Eternity and a Day § Μια αιωνιότητα και μια μέρα Theo Angelopoulos Greece[89]
1999
(52nd)
Rosetta § Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne Belgium, France[90]
2000
(53rd)
Dancer in the Dark Lars von Trier Denmark[91]
2001
(54th)
The Son’s Room La stanza del figlio Nanni Moretti Italy, France[92]
2002
(55th)
The Pianist Roman Polanski Poland, France, Germany, United Kingdom[93]
2003
(56th)
Elephant Gus Van Sant United States[94]
2004
(57th)
Fahrenheit 9/11 Michael Moore United States[95]
2005
(58th)
L’Enfant Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne Belgium, France[96]
2006
(59th)
The Wind That Shakes the Barley § Ken Loach Ireland, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain[97]
2007
(60th)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days 4 luni, 3 săptămâni și 2 zile Cristian Mungiu Romania[98]
2008
(61st)
The Class § Entre les murs Laurent Cantet France[99]
2009
(62nd)
The White Ribbon Das weiße Band, Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte Michael Haneke Germany, Austria, France, Italy[100]
2010
(63rd)
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives ลุงบุญมีระลึกชาติ Apichatpong Weerasethakul United Kingdom, Thailand, France, Germany, Spain[101]
2011
(64th)
The Tree of Life Terrence Malick United States[102]
2012
(65th)
Amour Michael Haneke France, Germany, Austria[103]
2013
(66th)
Blue Is the Warmest Colour § La Vie d’Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2 Abdellatif Kechiche France, Belgium, Spain[104]
2014
(67th)
Winter Sleep Kış Uykusu Nuri Bilge Ceylan Turkey, France, Germany[105]
2015
(68th)
Dheepan Jacques Audiard France[106]
2016
(69th)
I, Daniel Blake Ken Loach United Kingdom[107]
2017
(70th)
The Square Ruben Östlund Sweden, Germany, France, Denmark[108]
2018
(71st)
Shoplifters 万引き家族 Hirokazu Kore-eda Japan[109]
2019
(72nd)
Parasite § 기생충 Bong Joon-ho South Korea[110]
2020
(73rd)
Festival cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 56 films were announced as official selections by the festival, but no awards were presented.[14]
2021
(74th)
Titane Julia Ducournau France, Belgium[111]
2022
(75th)
Triangle of Sadness Ruben Östlund Sweden[112]
Notes
# Denotes ex aequo win
§ Denotes unanimous win
Multiple winners
Nine directors or co-directors have won the award twice.[113] Three of these (‡) have won for consecutive films.
Alf Sjöberg (1946 & 1951)
Francis Ford Coppola (1974 & 1979)
Bille August (1988 & 1992)Consecutive films
Emir Kusturica (1985 & 1995)
Shohei Imamura (1983 & 1997)
Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne (1999 & 2005)
Michael Haneke (2009 & 2012)Award winner
Ken Loach (2006 & 2016)
Ruben Östlund (2017 & 2022)Award winner
Honorary Palme d’Or
In 1997, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Festival, the Cannes jury awarded a “Palme des Palmes” for the first time.[114]
Year Recipient Profession Nationality of recipient
1997 Ingmar Bergman[114] Director/Screenwriter Sweden
In 2002 the festival began to sporadically award a non-competitive Honorary Palme d’Or to directors or actors who had achieved a notable body of work but who had never won a competitive Palme d’Or.[115]
Year Recipient Profession Nationality of recipient
2002 Woody Allen[116] Director/Actor/Screenwriter United States
2003 Jeanne Moreau[117] Actress France
2005 Catherine Deneuve[118] Actress France
2007 Jane Fonda[119] Actress United States
2008 Manoel de Oliveira[120] Director/Screenwriter Portugal
2009 Clint Eastwood[121] Actor/Director United States
2011 Jean-Paul Belmondo[122] Actor France
Bernardo Bertolucci[123] Director/Screenwriter Italy
2015 Agnès Varda[124][125] Director/Screenwriter France
2016 Jean-Pierre Léaud[126] Actor France
2017 Jeffrey Katzenberg[127] Producer United States
2019 Alain Delon[128] Actor France
2021 Marco Bellocchio[129] Director/Screenwriter Italy
Jodie Foster[130] Actress/Director United States
2022 Forest Whitaker[131] Actor/Producer/Director United States
Tom Cruise[132] Actor/Producer United States
In 2018, the Cannes jury also awarded a “Special Palme d’Or” for the first time.[133]
Year Film Original title Director(s) Country Ref(s)
2018 The Image Book Le Livre d’image Jean-Luc Godard Switzerland
