The Cannes Film Festival has a long and distinguished track record of spotlighting landmark works in the history of cinema with its highest honor, the Palme d’or.
The festival first gave out its highest honor in 1939, but the award hasn’t always been called the Palme d’or, nor has it always been given to just one film.
Originally, the award was dubbed the “Grand Prix du Festival Internationale du Film,” a mouthful of a moniker with a little less luster than “Palme d’or.”
In the decades since the award’s inception, Cannes has bounced back and forth between the two designations. The top award was called the Palme d’or in 1955, when Delbert Mann’s Marty took the honor. Then, in 1964, it became the Grand Prix again before finally settling in as the Palme d’or, which has been its name for the past 45 years.
Scroll through the photos below for a chronological gallery of all the films that have received Cannes’ highest honor.
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ANORA, 2024
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Mikey Madison in Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’
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ANATOMY OF A FALL, 2023
Image Credit: MK2. Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall
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TRIANGLE OF SADNESS, 2022
Image Credit: Neon Dir. Ruben Ostlund
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TITANE, 2021
Image Credit: Carole Bethuel/Cannes Film Festival Dir. Julia Ducournau
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PARASITE, 2019
Image Credit: Neon/Everett Collection Dir. Bong Joon-ho
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SHOPLIFTERS, 2018
Image Credit: Magnolia Pictures/Everett Collection Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
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THE SQUARE, 2017
Image Credit: Magnolia Pictures/Everett Collection Dir. Ruben Östlund
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I, DANIEL BLAKE, 2016
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Ken Loach
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DHEEPAN, 2015
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Jacques Audiard
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WINTER SLEEP, 2014
Image Credit: Adopt Films/Everett Collection Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan
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BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, 2013
Image Credit: Sundance Selects/Everett Collection Dir. Abdellatif Kechiche
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LOVE, 2012
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics/Everett Collection Dir. Michael Haneke
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THE TREE OF LIFE, 2011
Image Credit: Merie Wallace/Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection Dir. Terrence Malick
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UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES, 2010
Image Credit: Strand Releasing/Everett Collection Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
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THE WHITE RIBBON, 2009
Image Credit: Sony Classics/Everett Collection Dir. Michael Haneke
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THE CLASS, 2008
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics/Everett Collection Dir. Laurent Cantet
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4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS, 2007
Image Credit: IFC First Take/Everett Collection Dir. Cristian Mungiu
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THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY, 2006
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Ken Loach
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THE CHILD, 2005
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dirs. Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
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FAHRENHEIT 9/11, 2004
Image Credit: Lions Gate/Everett Collection Dir. Michael Moore
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ELEPHANT, 2003
Image Credit: Fine Line/Everett Collection Dir. Gus Van Sant
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THE PIANIST, 2002
Image Credit: Focus Features/Everett Collection Dir. Roman Polanski
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THE SON’S ROOM, 2001
Image Credit: Miramax/Everett Collection Dir. Nanni Moretti
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DANCER IN THE DARK, 2000
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Lars von Trier
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ROSETTA, 1999
Image Credit: USA Films/Everett Collection Dirs. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
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ETERNITY AND A DAY, 1998
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Theodoros Angelopoulos
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THE EEL, 1997 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Shohei Imamura
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TASTE OF CHERRY, 1997 (tie)
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
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SECRETS & LIES, 1996
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Mike Leigh
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UNDERGROUND, 1995
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Emir Kusturica
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PULP FICTION, 1994
Image Credit: Miramax/Everett Collection Dir. Quentin Tarantino
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THE PIANO, 1993 (tie)
Image Credit: Miramax/Everett Collection Dir. Jane Campion
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FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE, 1993 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Chen Kaige
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THE BEST INTENTIONS, 1992
Image Credit: Samuel Goldwyn/Everett Collection Dir. Bille August
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BARTON FINK, 1991
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection Dirs. Joel and Ethan Coen
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WILD AT HEART, 1990
Image Credit: Samuel Goldwyn/Everett Collection Dir. David Lynch
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SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE, 1989
Image Credit: Miramax/Everett Collection Dir. Steven Soderbergh
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PELLE THE CONQUEROR, 1988
Image Credit: Miramax/Everett Collection Dir. Bille August
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UNDER THE SUN OF SATAN, 1987
Image Credit: Alive Films/Everett Collection Dir. Maurice Pialat
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THE MISSION, 1986
Image Credit: Warner Bros./Everett Collection Dir. Roland Joffé
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WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS, 1985
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Emir Kusturica
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PARIS, TEXAS, 1984
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Dir. Wim Wenders
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THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA, 1983
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Shohei Imamura
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THE WAY, 1982 (tie)
Image Credit: Triumph Films/Everett Collection Dirs. Yılmaz Güney and Şerif Gören
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MISSING, 1982 (tie)
Image Credit: Universal/Everett Collection Dir. Costa-Gravras
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MAN OF IRON, 1981
Image Credit: United Artists Classics/Everett Collection Dir. Andrzej Wajda
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KAGEMUSHA, 1980 (tie)
Image Credit: Toho Company/Everett Collection Dir. Akira Kurosawa
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ALL THAT JAZZ, 1980 (tie)
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp/Everett Collection Dir. Bob Fosse
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THE TIN DRUM, 1979 (tie)
Image Credit: New World Pictures/Everett Collection Dir. Volker Schlöndorff
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APOCALYPSE NOW, 1979 (tie)
Image Credit: United Artists/Everett Collection Dir. Francis Ford Coppola
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TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS, 1978
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Ermanno Olmi
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PADRE PADRONE, 1977
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dirs. Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
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TAXI DRIVER, 1976
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Martin Scorsese
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CHRONICLE OF THE YEARS OF FIRE, 1975
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina
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THE CONVERSATION, 1974
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Francis Ford Coppola
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SCARECROW, 1973 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Jerry Schatzberg
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THE HIRELING, 1973 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Alan Bridges
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THE WORKING CLASS GOES TO HEAVEN, 1972 (tie)
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Elio Petri
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THE MATTEI AFFAIR, 1972 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Francesco Rosi
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THE GO-BETWEEN, 1971
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Joseph Losey
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MASH, 1970
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection Dir. Robert Altman
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IF…, 1969
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Lindsay Anderson
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BLOWUP, 1967
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Michelangelo Antonioni
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THE BIRDS, THE BEES AND THE ITALIANS, 1966 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Pietro Germi
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A MAN AND A WOMAN, 1966 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Claude Lelouch
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THE KNACK…AND HOW TO GET IT, 1965
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Richard Lester
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THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, 1964
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Jacques Demy
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THE LEOPARD, 1963
Image Credit: 20th Century-Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection Dir. Luchino Visconti
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KEEPER OF PROMISES, 1962
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Anselmo Duarte
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VIRIDIANA, 1961 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Luis Buñuel
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THE LONG ABSENCE, 1961 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Henri Colpi
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LA DOLCE VITA, 1960
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Federico Fellini
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BLACK ORPHEUS, 1959
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Marcel Camus
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THE CRANES ARE FLYING, 1957
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Mikhail Kalatozov
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FRIENDLY PERSUASION, 1956
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. William Wyler
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THE SILENT WORLD, 1956
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dirs. Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle
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MARTY, 1955
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Delbert Mann
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GATE OF HELL, 1954
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Teinosuke Kinugasa
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THE WAGES OF FEAR, 1953
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot
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TWO CENTS WORTH OF HOPE, 1952 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Renato Castellani
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THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO: THE MOOR OF VENICE, 1952 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Orson Welles
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MIRACLE IN MILAN, 1951 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Vittorio De Sica
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MISS JULIE, 1951 (tie)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Alf Sjöberg
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THE THIRD MAN, 1949
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Carol Reed
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THE DAMNED, 1947 (Best Adventure and Crime Film)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. René Clément
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CROSSFIRE, 1947 (Best Social Film)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Edward Dmytryk
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DUMBO, 1947 (Best Animation Design)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Ben Sharpsteen
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ANTOINE AND ANTOINETTE, 1947 (Best Psychological and Love Film)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Jacques Becker
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ZIEGFELD FOLLIES, 1947 (Best Musical Comedy)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Vincente Minnelli
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THE LOST WEEKEND, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Billy Wilder
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LOWLY CITY, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Chetan Anand
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PORTRAIT OF MARIA, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: MGM Dir. Emilio Fernández
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PASTORAL SYMPHONY, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Jean Delannoy
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MEN WITHOUT WINGS, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Státní půjčovna filmů Dir. František Čáp
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BRIEF ENCOUNTER, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. David Lean
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ROME, OPEN CITY, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Roberto Rossellini
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THE RED MEADOWS, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Bodil Ipsen and Lau Lauritzen Jr.
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TORMENT, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Alf Sjöberg
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THE TURNING POINT, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Fridrikh Ermler
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THE LAST CHANCE, 1946 (one of 11 honorees)
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival Dir. Leopold Lindtberg
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UNION PACIFIC, 1939
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Cecil B. DeMille
