The César Award () is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Ministry of Culture."The César Ceremony" , Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma The nationally televised award ceremony is held in Paris each year in February. The exact location has changed over the years (in the Théâtre du Châtelet from 2002 to 2016). It is an initiative of the , which was founded in 1975.
The César Award is considered the highest film honor in France, the French film industry's equivalent to the Molière Award for theatre, and the Victoires de la Musique for music. In cinema, it is the French equivalent to the Academy Awards. The award was created by Georges Cravenne, who was also the creator of the Molière Award for theatre. The name of the award comes from the sculptor César Baldaccini (1921–1998) who designed it.
The 51st César Awards ceremony took place on 26 February 2026. The Ties That Bind Us, directed by Carine Tardieu, won the award for Best Film.
History In 1974, Georges Cravenne founded the Academy of Arts and Techniques of Cinema that was, from the outset, intended to reward the achievements and the most remarkable film artwork, to have a French equivalent to the American Oscars. The first César Awards – also known as the "Night of Caesar" – were held on 3 April 1976 under the chairmanship of Jean Gabin who watched the ceremony from the front row seated in a wheelchair a few months before his death. The name of the award comes from the sculptor César, designer of the trophy awarded to the winners in each category. It is also an homage to Raimu, the great French actor and performer in the Marseille trilogy of Marcel Pagnol, in which Raimu played the character of César.
The César Awards replaced the , which was awarded from 1955 to 1975. Other prizes had been awarded to French cinema in the past. From 1934 to 1986, the , established by film pioneer Louis Lumière, was given to one film a year. In the 1950s, the was awarded each June. Lacking popular enthusiasm compared to the Étoile de cristal, this award was discontinued after 1964.
At the inaugural César Awards, 13 awards were distributed. Today, there are 22 (in nine subcategories). Categories added in recent years include Most Promising Actor/Actress (Meilleur espoir), Best Documentary (Meilleur documentaire) and Best Animated Film (Meilleur film d'animation), while awards honoring the best film poster and best producer have been dropped, as they are now given at a sister ceremony, the . In September 2021, the governing association of the César Awards voted to create two new awards that were introduced in the 47th ceremony: Best Visual Effects and Best Documentary Short Film.
Beginning with the 43rd César ceremony in 2018, a new special award, the César du public, is given to the French film with the most box office receipts during the previous year and the beginning of the current year. This award responds to the need to reward French comedy films, which remain the most popular genre in France...
During the 45th ceremony in 2020, Adèle Haenel, a French actress playing the main character in Portrait of a Lady on Fire, left the room when Roman Polanski's award for best director was announced in protest against the fact that notable sexual abusers in the film industry can receive awards when their victims are reduced to silence. Polanski was convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old in California in 1978, and has additionally been accused of other incidents of rape.
The statue
The César statues are compressed sculptures of metal objects, designed in 1975 by the sculptor César Baldaccini, a friend of Georges Cravenne who gave them their name as a wink to the Oscars, the sound of the name being close to the film César by Pagnol.. These forged pieces are made from polished natural bronze, unlike the Oscars which are plated in gold. The latter directly inspired the first AATC trophy in 1976, which was a reel of film encircling a silhouette.(image) Le sculpteur César posant avec la première version du trophée, uniquement remis en 1976. In 1977, before a mixed reception of actors, Baldaccini unveiled the current 8 by 8 cm compression, weighing 3.6 kg and cast in the Bocquel foundry in Normandy. The cost of a César has not been officially revealed, but is estimated at around 1,500 euros.
Voting process Voting for César Awards is conducted through two ballots by mail: the first to establish nominations per category (three to five, depending on the discipline), and the second to decide the winner.
Voters are professionals in the field, numbering about 4,000, divided into 12 colleges (actors, directors, writers, technicians, producers, distributors and international vendors, operators, agents artistic, technical industries, casting directors, press officers and members associates). The criteria for voting are: demonstrate a relatively consistent career in film and get a double sponsorship in the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma. Nominees or winners of the previous editions are exempt from these formalities.
To aid voters, the Académie identifies each year films released in France and provides a guide to the works and eligible professionals. A DVD set of French or primarily French productions produced during the year is sent in December with the catalog of films to the electors. After the nominations are revealed, at the end of January, special screenings of the nominated films are shown at the Le Balzac cinema in Paris, near the Champs-Élysées. Each year, a special lunch () for nominees is held at the famous Fouquet's restaurant on the Champs-Élysées, a few weeks before the ceremony.
Categories Merit awards
Best Film Best Director Best Actor Best Actress Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress Best Male Revelation Best Female Revelation Best Adaptation Best Original Screenplay Best First Film Best Foreign Film
Best Animated Film Best Documentary Film Best Animated Short Film Best Documentary Short Film Best Fiction Short Film Best Cinematography Best Costume Design Best Editing Best Original Music Best Production Design Best Sound Best Visual Effects
Special awards Honorary Award – since 1976 César des Césars – only in 1985 and 1995 Prix Daniel Toscan du Plantier – since 2008 Trophée César & Techniques – since 2011 Médaille d'Or – only in 2015 César & Techniques Special Award – only between 2015 and 2017 César & Techniques Innovation Award – since 2018 César du public – since 2018
Retired awards Best Film from the European Union (2002–2004) Best Poster (1986–1990) Best Producer (1995–1996) Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation (1976–2005) Best French Language Film (1984–1986) Best Short Film (1992–2021)
Ceremonies Edition Date President(s) Host(s) Best Film1st César Awards3 April 1976Jean GabinPierre TcherniaLe Vieux Fusil2nd César Awards19 February 1977Lino VenturaMonsieur Klein3rd César Awards4 February 1978Jeanne MoreauProvidence4th César Awards3 February 1979Charles VanelPierre Tchernia and Jean-Claude BrialyL'Argent des autres5th César Awards2 February 1980Jean MaraisPierre Tchernia and Peter UstinovTess6th César Awards31 January 1981Yves MontandPierre TcherniaThe Last Metro7th César Awards27 February 1982Orson WellesJacques Martin and Pierre TcherniaQuest for Fire8th César Awards26 February 1983Catherine DeneuveJean-Claude BrialyLa Balance9th César Awards3 March 1984Gene KellyLéon Zitrone(Tie) À nos amours& Le Bal10th César Awards3 February 1985Simone SignoretPierre TcherniaMy New Partner11th César Awards22 February 1986Madeleine Renaud and Jean-Louis BarraultMichel DruckerThree Men and a Cradle12th César Awards7 March 1987Sean ConneryMichel Drucker and Pierre TcherniaThérèse13th César Awards12 March 1988Miloš FormanMichel Drucker and Jane BirkinAu revoir les enfants14th César Awards4 March 1989Peter UstinovPierre TcherniaCamille Claudel15th César Awards4 March 1990Kirk DouglasÈve RuggieriToo Beautiful for You16th César Awards9 March 1991Sophia LorenRichard BohringerCyrano de Bergerac17th César Awards22 February 1992Michèle MorganFrédéric MitterrandTous les Matins du Monde18th César Awards8 March 1993Marcello MastroianniSavage Nights19th César Awards26 February 1994Gérard DepardieuFabrice Luchini and Clémentine CélariéSmoking / No Smoking20th César Awards25 February 1995Alain DelonJean-Claude Brialy and Pierre TcherniaWild Reeds21st César Awards3 February 1996Philippe NoiretAntoine de CaunesLa Haine22nd César Awards8 February 1997Annie GirardotRidicule23rd César Awards28 February 1998Juliette BinocheSame Old Song24th César Awards6 March 1999Isabelle HuppertThe Dreamlife of Angels25th César Awards19 February 2000Alain DelonAlain ChabatVenus Beauty Institute26th César Awards24 February 2001Daniel AuteuilÉdouard BaerThe Taste of Others27th César Awards2 March 2002Nathalie BayeAmélie28th César Awards22 February 2003—Géraldine PailhasThe Pianist29th César Awards21 February 2004Fanny ArdantGad ElmalehThe Barbarian Invasions30th César Awards26 February 2005Isabelle AdjaniGames of Love and Chance31st César Awards25 February 2006Carole BouquetValérie LemercierThe Beat That My Heart Skipped32nd César Awards24 February 2007Claude BrasseurLady Chatterley33rd César Awards22 February 2008Jean RochefortAntoine de CaunesThe Secret of the Grain34th César Awards27 February 2009Charlotte GainsbourgSéraphine35th César Awards27 February 2010Marion CotillardValérie Lemercier and Gad ElmalehA Prophet36th César Awards25 February 2011Jodie FosterAntoine de CaunesOf Gods and Men37th César Awards24 February 2012Guillaume CanetThe Artist38th César Awards22 February 2013Jamel DebbouzeAmour39th César Awards28 February 2014François CluzetCécile de FranceMe, Myself and Mum40th César Awards20 February 2015Dany BoonÉdouard BaerTimbuktu41st César Awards26 February 2016Claude LelouchFlorence ForestiFatima42nd César Awards24 February 2017—Jérôme CommandeurElle43rd César Awards2 March 2018Vanessa ParadisManu PayetBPM (Beats per Minute)44th César Awards22 February 2019Kristin Scott ThomasKad MeradCustody45th César Awards28 February 2020Sandrine KiberlainFlorence ForestiLes Misérables46th César Awards12 March 2021Roschdy ZemMarina FoïsBye Bye Morons47th César Awards25 February 2022Danièle ThompsonAntoine de CaunesLost Illusions48th César Awards24 February 2023Tahar RahimEmmanuelle Devos, Léa Drucker, Eye Haïdara, Leïla Bekhti, Jérôme Commandeur, Ahmed Sylla, Jamel Debbouze, Alex Lutz and Raphaël PersonnazThe Night of the 12th49th César Awards23 February 2024Valérie LemercierAriane Ascaride, Bérénice Bejo, Dali Benssalah, Juliette Binoche, Dany Boon, Bastien Bouillon, Audrey Diwan, Ana Girardot, Diane Kruger, Benoît Magimel, , Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Jean-Pascal ZadiAnatomy of a Fall50th César Awards28 February 2025Catherine DeneuveJean-Pascal ZadiEmilia Pérez51st César Awards26 February 2026Camille CottinBenjamin LavernheThe Ties That Bind Us
Overall Films that received five or more César Awards Film Year Noms. Wins Cyrano de Bergerac 1990 13 10 The Last Metro 1980 12 10 A Prophet 2009 13 9 The Beat That My Heart Skipped 2005 10 8Lost Illusions 2022157 Same Old Song 1997 12 7 Emilia Pérez 2024 12 7 All the World's Mornings 1991 11 7 The Pianist 2002 10 7 Goodbye, Children 1987 9 7 Séraphine 2008 9 7 Providence 1977 8 7 Timbuktu 2015 8 7 The Artist 2012 10 6 Thérèse 1986 10 6 Camille Claudel 1988 12 5 Queen Margot 1994 12 5 A Very Long Engagement 2004 12 5Annette 2022 115 Too Beautiful For You 1989 11 5 La Vie en Rose 2007 11 5 Amour 2013 10 5 Me, Myself and Mum 2014 10 5 Lady Chatterley 2007 9 5 Smoking/No Smoking 1993 9 5
Films that received 10 or more César Award nominations