Dwayne Johnson And Teyana Taylor to be Honored at Variety’s Palm Springs Film Fest

At the 2026 Variety’s Palm Springs International Film Festival brunch, scheduled on Sunday, January 4, Hollywood actors Dwayne Johnson and Teyana Taylor will be honoured with prestigious awards for their outstanding performances in The Smashing Machine and One Battle After Another, respectively. Dwayne will be honored with the Creative Impact in Acting Award, whereas Teyana will receive the Creative Impact in Breakthrough Performance Award. 

Take a closer look at the actor’s splendid contribution to the entertainment industry. 

Dwayne Johnson – The Smashing Machine

Dwayne Johnson’s revelatory and transformative role in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine fetched him his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama). Additionally, the film also received the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. Ramin Setoodeh, Co-president and Co-editor-in-chief at Variety, stated that Johnson is a revelation in the 2025 sports drama. The actor’s haunting and committed portrayal of MMA fighter Mark Kerr stands as a testament to his willingness to forgo vanity to narrate a truly human story. Variety’s team is thus thrilled to honor the 53-year-old American actor and professional wrestler with Variety’s Acting Award in Palm Springs. 

Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

The American singer-songwriter and actress, Teyana Taylor, is a Golden Globe, Grammy Award, and Critics’ Choice Award nominee. Her phenomenal on-screen performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is widely acknowledged by critics, media, and fans worldwide. Clearly, the comedy-drama for 2025 led the Golden Globe race with an impressive nine nominations. Moreover, the film has been hailed as the best picture by The Gotham Awards, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review, and the New York Film Critics Circle.

According to Ramin Setoodeh, the 35-year-old’s versatile performance in One Battle After Another stood out in one of the year’s best ensembles. Through her previous movie roles in A Thousand and One and The Book of Clarence, she established herself as a formidable and fearless actress. The audience and media are now definitely intrigued to know about Teyana’s next big hits. The team at Variety is hence delighted to honor the Hollywood personality with Variety’s Breakthrough Performance Award. Fans and admirers can’t wait for the celebrity film fest awards to unfold on January 4, 2026.