The Santa Barbara International Film Festival just added another major name to its already stacked 2026 lineup.
Ethan Hawke will receive the American Riviera Award at the 41st Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, honoring a four-decade career defined by risk-taking, reinvention, and lasting impact. The tribute takes place Friday, February 6, 2026, with an in-person conversation moderated by TCM’s Dave Karger.
The timing couldn’t be better. Hawke is currently earning widespread acclaim for Blue Moon, delivering what many consider one of the most transformative performances of his career as lyricist Lorenz Hart. The role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and his fifth Oscar nomination overall, while also marking his ninth collaboration with filmmaker Richard Linklater—a partnership that has helped shape modern American cinema.
SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling praised Hawke as a “greatly admired, versatile and risk-taking artist,” noting his evolution from early heartthrob roles into one of America’s most respected character actors. Whether on screen, on stage, or behind the camera, Hawke’s career has been driven by complexity and craft—exactly what the American Riviera Award was created to recognize.
The award places Hawke among past honorees including Mark Ruffalo, Brendan Fraser, Kristen Stewart, Renée Zellweger, Viggo Mortensen, Jeff Bridges, Michael Keaton, Robert Redford, Martin Scorsese, Sandra Bullock, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Over the years, Hawke has built one of the most eclectic filmographies in the industry, with standout performances in Training Day, Boyhood, First Reformed, Gattaca, Reality Bites, The Black Phone, Moon Knight, and the iconic Before trilogy. Beyond acting, he’s earned Oscar nominations for screenwriting, directed narrative features and documentaries, maintained an active stage career, and established himself as a best-selling author.
Most recently, Hawke has also received strong reviews for his starring and executive producing role in FX’s The Lowdown, which was named one of AFI’s Television Programs of the Year—further proof that his creative momentum shows no signs of slowing.
The 41st Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs February 4–14, 2026, featuring screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes across Santa Barbara, including the historic Arlington Theatre and the new McHurley Film Center.
Additional 2026 honorees include Michael B. Jordan (Outstanding Performer of the Year), Adam Sandler (Maltin Modern Master Award), Stellan Skarsgård (Montecito Award), Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro (Hammond Cinema Vanguard Award), Kate Hudson (Arlington Artist of the Year Award), and the Virtuosos Award honoring Jacob Elordi, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Chase Infiniti, Amy Madigan, Wunmi Mosaku, Wagner Moura, Sydney Sweeney, Teyana Taylor, and Jeremy Allen White.
SBIFF 2026 continues to position itself as a major awards-season destination—and Ethan Hawke’s American Riviera tribute feels like a centerpiece moment.
