Al Pacino Receives 2026 Sam Wanamaker Award

Shakespeare’s Globe has announced Al Pacino as the recipient of the 2026 Sam Wanamaker Award, in recognition of his contribution to the world of theatre and film, and particularly his enduring connection to Shakespeare. Already a recipient of the industry’s highest honours, including the Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony Awards, Al Pacino has also maintained a lifelong commitment to Shakespeare, including celebrated performances as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Mark Antony in Julius Ceasar, and the title role in Richard III. His next role will be King Lear in the upcoming film Lear Rex. Al Pacino also wrote and directed the documentary Looking for Richard, exploring the relevance and accessibility of Shakespeare’s work for contemporary audiences. This award celebrates Pacino’s remarkable career and legacy which will inspire generations of artists and audiences for years to come. 

Al Pacino says: “Throughout my life, the theatre has given me a sense of purpose and belonging, and Shakespeare has always been a guiding force in that journey. His writing, in all its dimensions, has been a continuing presence in my life and so many others. To receive the Sam Wanamaker Award at Shakespeare’s Globe – a living testament to Sam’s passion and dedication to the theatre – is a profound honour. I’m deeply grateful.”

Globe Artistic Director Michelle Terry says: “Al Pacino’s performances and productions of Shakespeare have transformed how people perceive and receive these incredible plays, the complicated human beings they contain and the profound and complex stories they weave. He has and will continue to inspire generations of artists to follow in his footsteps and carry the torch of hope and humanity through the stories they tell and the ways that they tell them.”

The Sam Wanamaker Award was established by Shakespeare’s Globe in 1994 to celebrate work which has increased the understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare, and which has a similar quality to the pioneering mission of the Globe’s founder Sam Wanamaker.