The Golden Globes and the Artemis Rising Foundation return to Cannes as partners for the second annual Golden Globes Documentary Awards. Actor and producer Kelvin Harrison Jr. will join the jury and present the award, designed to highlight “moving documentary narrative,” during the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
The award honors a director “whose work demonstrates exceptional storytelling and a meaningful contribution to documentary filmmaking, particularly in addressing pressing global and social issues.”
The partners said Harrison Jr. represents “a new generation of talent deeply committed to telling stories of cultural and social significance.” “His recent and upcoming work includes voicing Taka Mufasa: The Lion King; Photographed by Jean-Michel Basquiat in Long live Samo And starring in The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Harvest, Coming to theaters this fall.
The creator said: “I am honored to support this important award and celebrate exceptional documentary filmmakers whose work highlights breaking stories around the world.”
Finalists for the award include filmmakers who have a film either in the Official Selection of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, or “side events or special screenings, each demonstrating a sustained commitment to documentary filmmaking.” The partners stressed that the jury will consider the following filmmakers: Steven Soderbergh, Pegah Ahangarani, Ron Howard, Christophe Dimitri Revelli, David Tryhorn, Ben Nicholas, Jessica Genius, Diego Luna, Alexander Murphy, and Leah Nelson.
Launched last year, the award has been presented at major international festivals such as Cannes and Venice, “underscoring the shared commitment of the Golden Globes and Artemis Rising Foundation to raise the bar of documentary storytelling on the global stage,” the partners said.
The honor went to Eugene Jarecki (The six billion dollar man) at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, with a jury including Tessa Thompson, while at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, with a jury including Teo Yu and Jharrel Jerome, the award was presented to Ross McElwee (remake).
The full Cannes 2026 honors jury includes Golden Globes president Helen Hoehn, producer and Artemis Rising Foundation founder Regina K. Scully, producer and Impact Partners co-founder Geralyn White-Dreyfus, and founder and CEO of Think-Film Impact Production, Daniel Turkoff Wilson.
“We are proud to return to the Cannes Film Festival to honor an outstanding documentary filmmaker, and we are thrilled to have Kelvin join the jury this year,” Hoehn said. “His passion for meaningful storytelling makes him a natural addition to the jury, and reflects the Golden Globes’ ongoing commitment to innovation and raising the bar of documentaries on the global stage.”
“With non-fiction storytelling on the fringes rather than center stage, we hope this award will highlight and raise the profile of the best non-fiction and storytelling,” Dreyfus added.
“We believe that meaningful documentary storytelling has the power to inspire intense empathy and help shape a better future,” Scully said.
The Golden Globe Awards are operated by a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and… THR Mother Penske Media.
Harrison Jr. will reveal the final winner at an invitation-only event on Monday, May 18 at the Plage des Palmes in Cannes. The evening, supported by Think-Film Impact Production, will include a panel discussion, awards presentation and reception to celebrate documentary filmmaking. The winner will receive a cash prize of €10,000 ($11,790).
