The
Advanced Imaging Society (AIS), representing a global community of filmmakers, technologists, and creatives, is proud to announce that Ethan Hawke will receive the 2026 Distinguished Artist Award at the 16th annual Lumiere Awards luncheon on Monday, February 9, 2026, at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
The theme for this year’s Lumiere Awards is “A Hero’s Journey,” honoring the heroes and heroines of storytelling—both on screen and behind the scenes—whose work makes our stories unforgettable.
“We wanted to single out an artist whose work has meant something to our membership over many years,” said Jim Chabin, President of the Advanced Imaging Society. “Ethan Hawke’s performance as Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon is deeply felt and honest, and it’s clearly resonated with audiences and peers alike. Mr. Hawke brings both playfulness and gravity to the role, allowing the story’s themes to unfold naturally with the care, curiosity, and humanity that have long defined his career. His openness and respect for character ground the film with warmth and authenticity. After more than four decades of work, he remains one of contemporary cinema’s most versatile and talented artists and we are proud to honor his legacy.”
The Lumiere Awards have been presented over the last decade to the industry’s most respected creative and technical leaders. In addition to awards for motion pictures, episodic and new media content, the society will bestow awards for best musical motion picture, best musical scene or performance, best immersive audio and more. Winners will be presented at the event.
About Ethan Hawke
Over the past four decades, Ethan Hawke has established himself as one of the most versatile and respected artists working today—an actor, writer, director, producer, and best-selling novelist. He has earned five Academy Award nominations for both acting and writing, with his most recent nomination marking his first for Lead Actor, for his portrayal of Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon. The film represents his ninth collaboration with director Richard Linklater, and the performance has also garnered BAFTA, SAG Actor, Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Gotham Award nominations. He currently stars in and executive produces the new FX series,
The Lowdown, which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and he will be seen opposite Russell Crowe in
The Weight, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. His expansive filmography includes Oscar-nominated performances in
Training Day and
Boyhood, as well as acclaimed work in
First Reformed,
The Good Lord Bird,
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,
Gattaca,
Reality Bites,
The Black Phone,
Great Expectations,
White Fang,
Moon Knight, and the celebrated
Before trilogy, for which he received two writing Oscar nominations. As a filmmaker, Hawke has directed narrative and nonfiction projects including
Highway 99: A Double Album, which premiered at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival. On stage, he earned a Tony Award nomination for
The Coast of Utopia and has appeared on Broadway in
Henry IV,
Macbeth, and
True West. He is also the author several novels and the children’s book
Rules for a Knight.
About The Advanced Imaging Society
The Advanced Imaging Society was formed more than a decade ago by senior Hollywood executives to identify game-changing filmmaking technologies and foster their deployment to accelerate the success of next-generation consumer experiences. Founders included Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Sony, Paramount, IMAX, Warner Bros. DreamWorks, Dolby, Technicolor and Deluxe. The organization is charged with annually honoring creative and technical professionals for groundbreaking filmmaking and entertainment technology. Through the years, AIS honorees have included James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Alexander Payne, Baz Luhrmann, Guillermo del Toro, Denis Villeneuve, Ang Lee, Jennifer Lee, James Mangold, Jon Favreau, Christopher McQuarrie, Victoria Alonso and others. The organization now includes Silicon Valley and tech leaders including Google, NVIDIA, HP, Dell, Epic Games and others. In addition to its annual awards, the Society produces The Insiders Show Podcast, The Magic Series short-form videos and has active chapters in China, India and Japan. More about the AIS:
theadvancedimagingsociety.com
Photo by Francois Berthier