Michelle Yeoh receives Berlinale's lifetime achievement award; first Asian woman to receive the honour

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh speaks after being awarded the Honorary Golden Bear during the opening ceremony of the 76th Berlinale, Europe's first major film festival of the year, in Berlin on Feb 12, 2026. Photo: AFP

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh has won some of the acting industry’s top honours over her four-decade career, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe, and on the night of Feb 12, she added another: the Berlin Film Festival’s Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement.

“Berlinale has always been a very special place for me,” the 63-year-old told Reuters ahead of the festival’s opening ceremony.