The sixth Academy Museum Gala takes place October 17, 2026. The institution has named three honorees: John Carpenter, Colman Domingo, and Charlize Theron.
Carpenter receives the Luminary Award, given to an artist whose "singular contributions have expanded the creative possibilities of filmmaking." The director of Halloween, The Thing, Escape from New York, and They Live, Carpenter spent his career building one of the most studied filmographies in American genre cinema. The Luminary Award is the Academy Museum's recognition of that body of work.
Domingo receives the Vantage Award, which honors an artist "helping to challenge dominant narratives around cinema." The Emmy winner and two-time Oscar nominee has built a career that moves between prestige television and arthouse film. Theron receives the Icon Award, which "celebrates an artist whose career has had a significant global impact." She won Best Actress for Monster in 2003.
"We are honored to recognize John Carpenter, Colman Domingo and Charlize Theron, whose extraordinary careers exemplify the creativity, innovation and excellence," Academy Museum Director Amy Homma said in a statement.
The gala is co-chaired by Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg, and Kate Capshaw, with Rolex as founding partner. The Academy Museum will launch a Carpenter retrospective and horror exhibition on September 26, a month before the ceremony.