Kristin Scott Thomas, Kurt Russell and rising stars to be honoured at Monte-Carlo Television Festival

From The English Patient and Four Weddings and a Funeral to The Thing and Escape from New York, some of the screen’s most enduring stars will be recognised at this year’s Monte-Carlo Television Festival.

As part of its 65^th edition, the festival has announced a slate of honorary awards celebrating both established names and emerging talent, with Kristin Scott Thomas and Kurt Russell among those set to receive its prestigious Crystal Nymph Award.

For British audiences, Scott Thomas is perhaps best known for performances in films such as The English Patient, Gosford Park and Four Weddings and a Funeral, though a new generation of viewers may know her as the formidable Diana Taverner in Apple TV+’s espionage thriller Slow Horses. Across film, television and theatre, she has built a career defined by intelligence, versatility and an ability to move seamlessly between genres.

Russell’s career has taken a very different path, but one no less impressive. Equally at home in cult classics and blockbuster entertainment, he has spent decades moving between projects as varied as John Carpenter’s The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. More recently, he returned to the small screen in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, introducing him to yet another generation of viewers.

While the Crystal Nymphs celebrate established careers, the festival is also looking to the future. Spanish actor Ester Expósito and British performer Matthew Broome have been named recipients of the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.

Expósito became a global star through Netflix phenomenon Elite, one of the streamer’s biggest international successes, before expanding into film and television projects across Europe. Broome, meanwhile, has quickly emerged as one of Britain’s most talked-about young actors thanks to the success of Prime Video’s My Fault: London and his role in Apple TV+’s period drama The Buccaneers.

The festival will also honour French television icon Michel Drucker with an Honorary Nymph Award. A fixture of French broadcasting for more than six decades, Drucker has interviewed generations of actors, musicians and public figures, becoming one of the country’s most recognisable presenters in the process.

Between Hollywood veterans, British acting royalty and two rapidly rising stars, this year’s recipients offer an interesting snapshot of where screen entertainment has been – and where it may be heading next.

The awards will be presented during the Golden Nymph Awards Ceremony on 16^th June.

As an official media partner of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, The Upcoming will be reporting from Monaco throughout the week, including coverage of the ceremony and interviews with talent attending this year’s event.

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Image: Damian Foxe/Courtesy of Monte-Carlo Television Festival

The 65^th Monte-Carlo Television Festival takes place from 12^th to 16^th June 2026. For more information, visit the website here.

Read all our Monte-Carlo Television Festival 2026 coverage here.