Denzel Washington has been awarded a surprise honorary Palme d’Or.
The honor was given to Washington during the world premiere of his newest film, Highest 2 Lowest, at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The Hollywood Reporter shared a video of Washington accepting his career achievement award on Monday. The honorary Palme d’Or has only been presented 21 previous times.
Highest 2 Lowest marks Washington’s fifth collaboration with director Spike Lee. The film is a reinterpretation of the 1963 Akira Kurosawa thriller High and Low.
Ahead of the film’s screening, festival director Thierry Fremaux introduced a montage of scenes from Washington’s films. Clips from Malcolm X, Mo’ Better Blues, Glory and Training Day were shown before Lee took to the stage to present Washington with his honorary Palme d’Or.
Washington said the honor was a complete surprise as he accepted his trophy. This marks the first time Washington has attended the Cannes Film Festival over the course of his acting career.
Highest 2 Lowest comes from A24. It follows a titan music mogul, played by Washington, who is “widely known as having the ‘best ears in the business,’” according to the film’s official synopsis. After he’s targeted with a ransom plot, “he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.”
A$AP Rocky, Jeffrey Wright and Ice Spice in her film debut star alongside Washington in the movie.
Highest 2 Lowest arrives in theaters on Aug. 22 and will be available to stream Sept. 5 on Apple TV+.
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