Robert De Niro Will Receive Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes 2025

Robert De Niro was recently announced to be receiving the Honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He thus becomes the latest recipient of Cannes’ highest prize. The 81-year-old star, who has been a driving force in cinema for over three decades, has had a longstanding relationship with the Cannes Film Festival.

Robert De Niro to be honored at Cannes 2025

Robert De Niro is scheduled to be honored with the Honorary Palme d’Or at the opening night ceremony of the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Previous awardees include Studio Ghibli, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise.

The Honorary Palme d’Or is awarded to a filmmaker or artist who has amassed a notable body of work but has never won a competitive Palme d’Or Award. The Zero Day star is also expected to give an onstage masterclass at the Debussy Theatre for filmgoers on May 14, 2025.

De Niro penned the following statement in relation to the lifetime achievement.

“I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes… Especially now when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart,” he said. “Cannes brings us together — storytellers, filmmakers, fans, and friends. It’s like coming home.” (via Deadline)

De Niro has been a staple presence at the Cannes Film Festival for over two decades. He once served as President of the Cannes jury in 2011. In 1976, he graced the festival via his presence in two official selections — Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900, the former of which won the Palme d’Or. Then, in 1983, he and Scorsese opened the festival with The King of Comedy.

The following year, he presented Once Upon a Time in America. This was the last film of Spaghetti Western filmmaking legend Sergio Leone. He again returned to Cannes with 1986’s The Mission, directed by Roland Joffé.