Summary

  • Studio Ghibli receives prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes, first studio to ever win this award.
  • Goro Miyazaki accepts award on behalf of his father Hayao Miyazaki and the studio, thanking fans.
  • Award highlights Studio Ghibli's impact on animation, following recent wins at Golden Globe, Bafta, and Oscar.

While Meryl Streep and Francis Ford Coppola might have gotten all the attention, Studio Ghibli have stolen the show at this month’s Cannes Film Festival, as the legendary anime studio was awarded an honorary Palme d’Or today.

The award was not presented for any specific Studio Ghibli production, but rather for its body of work as well as the impact and influence the studio has had over the last four decades on the world of entertainment. In presenting the award, Cannes Film Festival President Iris Knoblach said:

With this Palme d’Or, we’d like to thank you for all the magic you’ve brought to cinema.

Studio Ghibli Gets Another Prestigious Award After Recent Academy Win

This Is the First Time that the Palme d'Or Is Assigned to a Studio

Hayao Miyazaki sitting next to a painting

This is not the first time that an honorary Palme d’Or has been awarded, but it is the first time in the award’s 22-year history that it was awarded to a studio and not an individual actor or director. The award is given to those who have not previously won an award at the festival but are widely recognized for their work in the industry.

Since its founding in 1985, Studio Ghibli has produced some of the most memorable and beloved animated films in history, including, The Boy and the Heron. As Studio Ghibli continues to enchant and inspire, this recognition at Cannes underscores its legacy as a beacon of creativity and excellence in animation.

Goro Miyazaki Dedicates the Award to Ghibli Fans

Miyazaki was not on hand to receive the prestigious accolade, but his son – an acclaimed animation director himself - Goro Miyazaki was in attendance and accepted the award for the studio. In addition to thanking the studio’s founders and staff for all the hard work they contributed to making the award possible, Miyazaki also offered a special shout-out to the fans, without whom the studio could never have become as famous as it has.

This is an honor owed to all those who have loved our films, too: I’d like to thank all Ghibli fans. - Goro Miyazaki

It’s been a whirlwind couple of months for Studio Ghibli. First was the Golden Globe Award for The Boy and the Heron in January. Then the Bafta Award for the same film in February. There was also that Oscar Award last March, and now a Palme d’Or. Clearly, the rising appreciation and popularity of Japanese animation in the West has to be attributed in part to Studio Ghibli, which keeps being a flagbearer for the medium in the most prestigious, and demanding, circles.

Source: Festival De Cannes, Associated Press