Monte-Carlo Television Festival celebrates 65th anniversary with star-studded closing ceremony
The 65th Monte-Carlo Television Festival came to a glittering close on Tuesday evening as television stars, creators, executives and industry leaders gathered at the Grimaldi Forum for a spectacular Closing Ceremony celebrating the best in international television.
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
The ceremony took place in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II and H.S.H. Princess Charlene of Monaco, who presented several of the festival's highest honors and joined the international television community in marking another successful edition of one of the industry's most prestigious events.
The milestone anniversary edition celebrated 65 years of television excellence, bringing together some of the world's leading actors, producers, directors, writers, journalists and executives for a week of screenings, premieres, business discussions and public events.
One of the evening's most anticipated moments was the presentation of the Crystal Nymph Award to Hollywood icon Kurt Russell. The veteran actor was honored for an extraordinary career spanning more than six decades and for his lasting contribution to the entertainment industry. He walked the blue carpet together with his long-term partner Goldie Hawn.
Presented by H.S.H. Princess Charlene, the distinction recognized a body of work that includes landmark titles such as Escape from New York, The Thing, Tombstone and Stargate, as well as more recent projects including The Hateful Eight, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Another major highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent to British actor Matthew Broome. The rising star has rapidly established himself as one of the industry's most exciting young performers thanks to his leading role in My Fault: London for Prime Video and his acclaimed performance in The Buccaneers for Apple TV+.
The award was also presented by Princess Charlene and capped off a breakthrough year for the actor, who earlier described Monte-Carlo as his first television festival and the occasion of his first major industry award.
The evening also saw the presentation of the prestigious Golden Nymph Awards across the Fiction, News & Documentary and Digital competitions following several days of screenings and deliberations by the festival's international juries.
This year's Official Selection featured 24 productions from around the world across three categories, showcasing premium drama series, investigative documentaries, current affairs programming and innovative digital content. Reflecting the evolving nature of the audiovisual industry, the 2026 edition marked the first-ever presentation of Golden Nymph Awards in the Digital category, recognizing excellence in online storytelling and digital creation.
Throughout the week, Monte-Carlo hosted 13 official screenings, including four world premieres, five international premieres and four French premieres. More than 29 public events, autograph sessions, conferences and Behind the Scenes discussions brought audiences face-to-face with some of television's biggest names.
Among the headline guests were Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Lesley Manville, Ester Expósito, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, John Hannah and David Boreanaz, alongside leading creators, producers and executives from across the global television business.
The Festival's Business Forum once again served as a major industry hub, gathering international executives and creative talent for discussions about storytelling, audience engagement, technological innovation and the future of premium television. Notable participants included Michael Hirst, Aldis Hodge, Ben Watkins, Rola Bauer, Kevin McKidd and Susanne Daniels.
The second edition of the Tell Me A Story! Pitch Contest, organized in partnership with 1895 Films, highlighted emerging creative talent from around the world. Mariana Machado of Universidade Lusófona in Portugal was named the winner for her project Late to Desire: The Sex Lives They Never Had.
The scale of international media interest remained significant throughout the week, with more than 1,500 interviews conducted by journalists from around the world, further reinforcing Monte-Carlo's position as one of the most influential television festivals on the global calendar.
Reflecting on the success of the anniversary edition, H.S.H. Prince Albert II praised the quality of the programs and talent celebrated throughout the week.
"The Monte-Carlo Television Festival has showcased once again the extraordinary vitality, diversity and creativity of the international audiovisual industry," he said. "Through the quality of the programs presented, the individuals honored for their outstanding talent and the conversations shared throughout the week, this 65th anniversary edition has celebrated the power of storytelling to inspire, entertain and bring people together."
Laurent Puons, General Manager of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, described the anniversary edition as "a remarkable success."
"For sixty-five years, the Festival has championed excellence in television, and this year's program perfectly reflected the creativity, ambition and innovation that continue to drive our industry forward," he said.
Executive Director Cécile Menoni added that the festival had once again demonstrated its unique ability to unite every part of the international television ecosystem.
"Monaco has once again become a global meeting place for creativity, inspiration and shared passion for television," she said.
As the curtain falls on the 65th Monte-Carlo Television Festival, organizers are already looking ahead to next year, when the international television community will return to Monaco for the event's 66th edition in 2027.
The milestone anniversary edition celebrated 65 years of television excellence, bringing together some of the world's leading actors, producers, directors, writers, journalists and executives for a week of screenings, premieres, business discussions and public events.
One of the evening's most anticipated moments was the presentation of the Crystal Nymph Award to Hollywood icon Kurt Russell. The veteran actor was honored for an extraordinary career spanning more than six decades and for his lasting contribution to the entertainment industry. He walked the blue carpet together with his long-term partner Goldie Hawn.
Presented by H.S.H. Princess Charlene, the distinction recognized a body of work that includes landmark titles such as Escape from New York, The Thing, Tombstone and Stargate, as well as more recent projects including The Hateful Eight, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Another major highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent to British actor Matthew Broome. The rising star has rapidly established himself as one of the industry's most exciting young performers thanks to his leading role in My Fault: London for Prime Video and his acclaimed performance in The Buccaneers for Apple TV+.
The award was also presented by Princess Charlene and capped off a breakthrough year for the actor, who earlier described Monte-Carlo as his first television festival and the occasion of his first major industry award.
The evening also saw the presentation of the prestigious Golden Nymph Awards across the Fiction, News & Documentary and Digital competitions following several days of screenings and deliberations by the festival's international juries.
The Cast of Gomorrah The Origins
This year's Official Selection featured 24 productions from around the world across three categories, showcasing premium drama series, investigative documentaries, current affairs programming and innovative digital content. Reflecting the evolving nature of the audiovisual industry, the 2026 edition marked the first-ever presentation of Golden Nymph Awards in the Digital category, recognizing excellence in online storytelling and digital creation.
Throughout the week, Monte-Carlo hosted 13 official screenings, including four world premieres, five international premieres and four French premieres. More than 29 public events, autograph sessions, conferences and Behind the Scenes discussions brought audiences face-to-face with some of television's biggest names.
Among the headline guests were Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Lesley Manville, Ester Expósito, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, John Hannah and David Boreanaz, alongside leading creators, producers and executives from across the global television business.
The Festival's Business Forum once again served as a major industry hub, gathering international executives and creative talent for discussions about storytelling, audience engagement, technological innovation and the future of premium television. Notable participants included Michael Hirst, Aldis Hodge, Ben Watkins, Rola Bauer, Kevin McKidd and Susanne Daniels.
The second edition of the Tell Me A Story! Pitch Contest, organized in partnership with 1895 Films, highlighted emerging creative talent from around the world. Mariana Machado of Universidade Lusófona in Portugal was named the winner for her project Late to Desire: The Sex Lives They Never Had.
The scale of international media interest remained significant throughout the week, with more than 1,500 interviews conducted by journalists from around the world, further reinforcing Monte-Carlo's position as one of the most influential television festivals on the global calendar.
Mathew Broome with Prince Albert II and Princesse Charlene
Reflecting on the success of the anniversary edition, H.S.H. Prince Albert II praised the quality of the programs and talent celebrated throughout the week.
"The Monte-Carlo Television Festival has showcased once again the extraordinary vitality, diversity and creativity of the international audiovisual industry," he said. "Through the quality of the programs presented, the individuals honored for their outstanding talent and the conversations shared throughout the week, this 65th anniversary edition has celebrated the power of storytelling to inspire, entertain and bring people together."
Laurent Puons, General Manager of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, described the anniversary edition as "a remarkable success."
"For sixty-five years, the Festival has championed excellence in television, and this year's program perfectly reflected the creativity, ambition and innovation that continue to drive our industry forward," he said.
Executive Director Cécile Menoni added that the festival had once again demonstrated its unique ability to unite every part of the international television ecosystem.
"Monaco has once again become a global meeting place for creativity, inspiration and shared passion for television," she said.
As the curtain falls on the 65th Monte-Carlo Television Festival, organizers are already looking ahead to next year, when the international television community will return to Monaco for the event's 66th edition in 2027.
