“Variety” will honor Golden Globe nominee Dwayne Johnson with the Creative Impact in Acting Award at the 2026 Palm Springs Film Festival. The award will be given as part of Variety’s annual 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch on January 4.
Actor, producer, and founder Johnson will be recognized for his revelatory and transformative performance in Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine,” which has garnered him his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. The film has already earned accolades for Safdie, who received the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival, as well as co-star Emily Blunt, who also received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the Best Supporting Actress Category.
“Dwayne Johnson is a revelation in ‘The Smashing Machine.’ His haunting and committed portrayal of MMA fighter Mark Kerr is a testament to his willingness to forgo vanity to tell a truly human story. We are thrilled to honor Dwayne with Variety’s Acting Award in Palm Springs,” said Ramin Setoodeh, copresident & co-editor-in-chief, Variety.
Johnson, whose recent work includes “Moana 2,” which garnered over $1 billion globally, will next be seen reprising his role as Maui in the live action “Moana,” set to release summer 2026. He is also currently filming the next installment of the fan favorite “Jumanji” franchise. Coming up, he is set to join forces with Safdie again on their second collaboration, “Lizard Music,” based off of a children’s book where Johnson will transform as the septuagenarian, “The Chicken Man.” He will also produce and star in Martin Scorsese’s Hawaii-set untitled crime drama alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt. Johnson is additionally attached to A24’s upcoming psychological thriller “Breakthrough,” penned by screenwriter Zeke Goodman and directed by Darren Aronofsky.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs from January 2 to 12, 2026. Passes and tickets are
currently on sale. For additional information visit https://www.psfilmfest.org/.
About the Palm Springs International Film Society
The Palm Springs International Film Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate and promote the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness. The Film Society produces the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) and Film Awards every January and Palm Springs ShortFest in June. In addition to curating the best in international cinema, PSIFF’s Film Awards has come to be known as the first stop on the campaign trail for the Academy Awards, and our Oscar-qualifying ShortFest is the largest short film festival and market in North America. Our festivals, year-round member screenings and educational programs manifest our organization’s mission by nurturing and encouraging new filmmaking talent, honoring the great masters of world cinema, and expanding audience horizons. The City of Palm Springs is the title sponsor of both festivals. The Film Awards are presented by Kering and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.