Salma Hayek Pinault, Pamela Abdy Lead 2026 WIF Honors Slate

Salma Hayek Pinault, Pamela Abdy, Adria Arjona, Gemma Chan and Beth de Araújo will receive honors at this year's WIF Honors ceremony, Women In Film announced. The gala takes place Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills and directly funds the organization's advocacy, research and career programs.

Abdy, co-chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, will receive WIF's inaugural Vanguard Award. The prize recognizes the breadth of her career, with particular acknowledgment of her studio tenure, where she has overseen blockbusters and award contenders including "One Battle After Another," "Sinners," "Barbie," "Weapons" and "Dune: Part Two." Last year, Warner Bros. tied the all-time studio record with 11 Academy Awards from an industry-leading 30 nominations.

Nancy Meyers will present the award to Abdy. The studio recently backed Meyers' first film in more than a decade, a comedy now in production starring Penélope Cruz, Kieran Culkin, Jude Law, Emma Mackey and Owen Wilson, slated for release on Christmas Day 2027.

The Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film will go to filmmaker Beth de Araújo and Gemma Chan, in absentia, for their collaboration on "Josephine." The drama follows a young girl who accidentally witnesses a devastating crime in Golden Gate Park. The film won both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance and opens in limited theatrical release on Nov. 20, expanding nationwide on Dec. 4.

The prize marks a full-circle moment for the pair. De Araújo participated in WIF's financing intensive in 2018, and Chan was named the WIF Max Mara Face of the Future honoree in 2020.

This year's Face of the Future Award, which recognizes a rising star, goes to Adria Arjona. The actress earned acclaim for her performance in the Peabody-winning series "Andor" and serves as executive producer and star of "Los Frikis" and "Splitsville." She most recently led the A24 action thriller "Onslaught" and will next star opposite Michael B. Jordan in his reimagined "The Thomas Crown Affair" for Amazon MGM.

Jane Fonda will present the Humanitarian Award — named for Fonda, its inaugural recipient — to Academy Award nominee and Emmy winner Hayek Pinault. Fonda and WIF selected Hayek Pinault to salute her historic career across film and television and her advocacy for the rights of women, children and immigrants.

"The 2026 honorees exemplify what WIF stands for: visionary work, fierce community, and lifting up the next generation," WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer said in a statement. "At a time when our Reframe research reveals a sobering backslide for women and nonbinary people in this industry, it is vital to celebrate leaders committed to transformation. Pamela Abdy, Beth de Araújo, Adria Arjona, Gemma Chan, and Salma Hayek bring indelible stories to the screen, while actively building a more inclusive culture."

Victoria Alonso and Andrea Nelson Meigs, co-chairs of this year's WIF Honors, concurred. "We are proud of this slate of honorees, especially Pam Abdy, whose fearless advocacy for storytellers has helped shape the films that define our industry," they said. "We're equally proud to honor Adria, Salma, Gemma, and Beth, women of color in an industry where they remain underrepresented both on and off screen. All of these women deserve recognition, and we can't wait to celebrate them this November."

The honors committee also includes Syrinthia Studer, president of WIF's board of directors, and board members Tara Duncan, Ivette Rodriguez, Rachel Rusch and Jurnee Smollett.

Schaffer's reference to WIF's Reframe research points to the stakes behind the celebration: the gala's fundraising arrives as the organization documents declining industry representation for women and nonbinary people.