LaKeith Stanfield is continuing his incredible Hollywood run, and the theatrical exhibition industry is officially giving him his flowers. The Academy Award-nominated actor has been named the 2026 Star of the Year by CinemaCon for its upcoming Big Screen Achievement Awards.
CinemaCon, recognized as the world’s largest convention for the global cinema industry and the official convention of Cinema United, announced its prestigious slate of honorees. The awards ceremony will serve as the finale to the convention and is set to take place on April 16 at The Dolby Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turner will host the event.
The Star of the Year honor arrives right on time for Stanfield, whose versatile and critically acclaimed resume includes standout roles in Judas and the Black Messiah, Get Out, Knives Out, Uncut Gems, The Harder They Fall, Selma, Snowden, and the hit FX television series Atlanta.
Stanfield will be back on the big screen next month in NEON’s I Love Boosters, which releases in theaters on May 22. The project reunites him with Sorry to Bother You writer and director Boots Riley. The film follows a crew of professional shoplifters who aim a cutthroat fashion maven, and features Stanfield starring opposite heavy hitters like Keke Palmer, Don Cheadle, Taylour Paige, Will Poulter, and Demi Moore.
The 2026 Big Screen Achievement Awards will also honor Queen Latifah for Cultural Impact in Film, alongside James Cameron, who will receive the Cinema United Spirit of the Industry award. Rounding out the impressive slate of recipients are Adam Scott for the Award of Excellence in Acting, Noah Centineo as the Star of Tomorrow, and Catherine Laga’aia, who will be recognized as the Rising Star of 2026.
The awards are specifically designed to give the global theatrical exhibition industry a chance to show their gratitude to the talented filmmakers and performers who bring the magic of movies to the big screen.
“Our industry is at its best when those in it come together to celebrate the power of seeing a movie on the big screen,” said Michael O’Leary, President and CEO of Cinema United. “This includes the incredibly talented people both in front of and behind the camera, whose work is at the heart of what makes the moviegoing experience so powerful and enduring.”
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