TIFF 2025 Tribute Awards Add Idris Elba, Catherine O’Hara, Jafar Panahi, Channing Tatum, and More
L-R: 2025 TIFF Tribute Award recipients Idris Elba, Kazu Hiro, Nina Hoss, Zacharias Kunuk, Catherine O’Hara, Jafar Panahi and Channing Tatum Courtesy of TIFF
TIFF completes its 2025 Tribute Awards lineup with seven new honourees, joining Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, HIKARI, and Lee Byung Hun for the festival’s landmark 50th edition.
The Toronto International Film Festival has revealed its final round of honourees for the 2025 TIFF Tribute Awards, rounding out what is now one of the most star-studded and globally representative lineups in the event’s history.
Announced by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, the final seven honourees include Idris Elba, Kazu Hiro, Nina Hoss, Zacharias Kunuk, Catherine O’Hara, Jafar Panahi, and Channing Tatum . They join previously announced recipients Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, filmmaker HIKARI, and actor Lee Byung Hun.
The Tribute Awards will take place September 7 at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel, serving as TIFF’s signature fundraising gala, with proceeds supporting the organization’s 50th anniversary campaign, Transform Together.
This year’s honourees include:
Idris Elba
Tribute Award in Impact Media
Celebrated for his versatile career spanning Luther, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and Beasts of No Nation, Elba will also debut his directorial short Dust to Dreams at TIFF this year. Beyond film, he is recognized for his social advocacy through the Elba Hope Foundation.
Kazu Hiro
TIFF Variety Artisan Award
The Oscar-winning prosthetics and makeup artist has transformed actors like Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour), Charlize Theron (Bombshell), and Bradley Cooper (Maestro). At TIFF, he is recognized for his latest work on The Smashing Machine.
Nina Hoss
Tribute Performer Award
The acclaimed German actor, known for Phoenix, Tár, and The Audition, returns to TIFF with Nia DaCosta’s Hedda, starring as Eileen Lovborg.
Channing Tatum
Tribute Performer Award
From Magic Mike to Foxcatcher, Tatum is recognized for his wide-ranging career. His latest role in Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman — premiering at TIFF — underscores his growing dramatic gravitas.
Jafar Panahi
Special Tribute Award
Despite decades of government censorship and prison sentences, the Iranian auteur continues to produce groundbreaking work. His latest, Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, screens at TIFF this year.
Zacharias Kunuk
Special Tribute Award
A pioneer of Inuit storytelling, Kunuk has brought films like Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner and One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk to global acclaim. He returns with Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband).
Catherine O’Hara
Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award
A Canadian legend, O’Hara’s career spans Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and Schitt’s Creek. TIFF recognizes her unmatched contributions to comedy and drama.
“The 2025 Tribute Award honourees represent the very best of what cinema can achieve,” Bailey said in a statement. “Their artistry and commitment to storytelling cross borders and cultures, inspiring audiences everywhere””
The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025.
