San Sebastian 2026: The Awards

.

Poet Federico Garcia Lorca, subject of Audience Award-winning 'La Bola Negra', as drawn on the San Sebastian beach.

VERDICT: The big winner at San Sebastian 2026, 'Tender Loving Care', reads almost like a summing-up of Mike Leigh's long and fruitful career.

The Film Verdict

September 26th, 2026

Mike Leigh’s warm-hearted look at frustrated social workers and families facing crises, Tender Loving Care,  was a worthy winner of the Golden Shell and two more prizes.

GOLDEN SHELL
Tender Loving Care
Directed by Mike Leigh

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Border (Bian jing)
directed by Ah Biao

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Amanda Kernell
for Brace Your Heart

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST LEADING PERFORMANCE
Kate O’Flynn
for Tender Loving Care

ex-aequo

Asta Kamma August
for Growth of the Soil

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Javier Camara
for 5 More Minutes

JURY PRIZE FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Oskar Dahlsbakken
for Growth of the Soil

JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SCREENPLAY
Mike Leigh
for Tender Loving Care

JURY PRIZE FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Amine Bouhafa
for Milo

NEW DIRECTORS AWARD
Naemi Ada
for Body of Glass

HORIZONTES LATINOS AWARD
The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer
directed by Alessandra Sanguinetti

ZABALTEGI-TABAKALERA AWARD
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
by Jane Schoenbrun

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST FILM
La Bola Negra
Javier Calvo (Spain), Javier Ambrossi (Spain)

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST EUROPEAN FILM
Naza
Yuval Abraham (ISrael), Rachel Szor (Israel)