Newport Beach Festival names Henson, O'Connell among 2026 honourees

Taraji P. Henson will lead the honours at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Oct. 18 in California.

Henson will receive the Artist of Distinction Award at the festival's Honors ceremony on Oct. 18 at Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, according to Variety. The night brings actors, filmmakers and behind-the-scenes talent together in one room. It is the centrepiece of the week-long festival.

She will be joined by four other honourees on the night. Jack O'Connell will receive the Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award, while McKenna Grace will take the Spotlight Award. Sosie Bacon will collect the Breakout Award and casting director Sarah Finn, whose job is choosing actors for roles, will receive the Casting Visionary Award, as reported by Variety.

Three more stars will be honoured outside the main ceremony. KJ Apa will receive a Spotlight Award at a screening of "Jimmy" on Oct. 17. Gemma Chan will receive an Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award at a screening of "Josephine". Justin Hartley will receive an Artist of Distinction Award at a Sunset Series event on Oct. 19, according to Variety.

The Oct. 18 show will be filmed for broadcast. It will air in January on PBS SoCal.

The wider festival runs Oct. 15-22, 2026, in its 27th edition, according to the Newport Beach Film Festival. It will open with "Frampton", followed by a live question-and-answer session with musician Peter Frampton and director Rob Arthur. It will close with "Unleashed Spirits: The Rise of the Hollywood Vampires" as a special event documentary on Oct. 22 at the Lido Theater, as reported by Variety.

For fans, this means a rare mix. Big names on the red carpet, plus the casting chiefs and rising faces who usually stay out of sight.