Michelle Yeoh Wins Honorary Golden Bear

Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊), the first-ever Chinese actress to win an Academy Award for Best Actress, made a surprise announcement on November 14 – that she will be honoured with the Berlinale’s highest accolade — the Golden Bear Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement at next year’s Berlin International Film Festival!

First Asian Recipient

The Berlinale revealed the news on social media, delighting fans with the announcement. “The extraordinary Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh will receive the festival’s top honor, the Golden Bear, to be presented at the opening ceremony on February 12, 2026!”

The Berlin International Film Festival will take place from February 12 to 22 next year. In its tribute, the festival praised Yeoh’s fearless artistry across works from Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to Everything Everywhere All at Once and Wicked, noting how she has inspired generations over the years. It added: “Michelle Yeoh is one of the most versatile and influential performers of her generation. Across a career spanning more than four decades and multiple continents, she has left an indelible and enduring mark on world cinema.”

Yeoh then issued a statement, “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. To return after so many years to receive recognition for my contributions to cinema is profoundly meaningful to me.”

Following her historic Oscar win two years ago as the first Chinese Best Actress, Yeoh is now also the first Asian recipient of the Berlinale’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

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