Overview
- The Ministry of Culture’s jury awarded Carmen Machi the 2026 Premio Nacional de Cinematografía, announcing the decision on Thursday, June 4, 2026 and praising her long career.
- The prize is endowed with €30,000 and the ministry customarily presents the award at the Festival de San Sebastián later in the year.
- The jury highlighted Machi as one of the most important comedy actresses in Spanish cinema and noted her ability to work across genres while maintaining broad popular appeal.
- Machi’s multi-decade résumé spans theatre, television and film, including a Goya for Ocho apellidos vascos in 2014 and the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes in 2024.
- The award recognizes either outstanding recent work or, as in Machi’s case, an exceptional professional trajectory and places her among past laureates such as Eduard Fernández, Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas.