Cannes Film Festival 2026: Announcement of the jury for the Best Sound Creation Award – “Un Certain Regard” selection

  • 9 minute read
  • 29 April 2026
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Cannes Film Festival 2026: 8th Edition of the Best Sound Creation Award.

La Semaine du Son (The Sound Week) returns to the Cannes Film Festival from May 12 to 23 to award the Prize for Best Sound Creation as part of the “Un Certain Regard” selection.

As part of the prestigious “Un Certain Regard” selection at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the Best Sound Creation Award reveals the composition of its jury.

Created in 2017 as part of the prestigious “Un Certain Regard” selection, the Best Sound Design Award recognizes a director each year for the excellence of their film’s sound, “because it enhances the viewer’s artistic, semantic, and narrative perception.” Initiated by Janine Langlois-Glandier, Costa-Gavras, and Christian Hugonnet, in agreement with Thierry Frémaux, the award was launched at the 70th Cannes Film Festival. At the heart of one of the world’s largest film events, it is a crucial element in promoting and celebrating sound design.

JURY OF THE 8TH EDITION OF THE BEST SOUND CREATION AWARD

Chaired by Vincent Maël Cardona, actor, director and screenwriter, the 2026 jury will bring together personalities from different artistic and technical backgrounds:

  • Barbara Pravi, author, composer and performer
  • Laurent Couson, composer and conductor
  • Janine Langlois-Glandier, President of the Mobile Media Forum, former executive at SFP, FR3, INA and Pathé
  • Jean-Luc Peart, sound engineer on set, member of the CST
  • Christian Hugonnet, President of the NGO

PRESIDENT OF THE JURY: Vincent Maël Cardona, actor, director and screenwriter.

Vincent Maël Cardona, director, actor, and screenwriter, was born in Brittany in 1980. After studying philosophy, he enrolled in the directing department at La Fémis film school and won the second prize at the Cinéfondation competition at the 2010  Cannes Film Festival with Coucou-les-Nuages, his graduation  film . His first feature film, Les Magnétiques, won the SACD Award at the Directors’ Fortnight in 2021 and the César Award for Best First Film in 2022.

In 2023, he directed the series *De Grâce*, starring Olivier Gourmet and Margot Bancilhon, for Arte, which won the Best Actor Award in the International Competition at the Séries Mania festival. *Le Roi Soleil*, his second feature film, starring Pio Marmaï, Lucie Zhang, and Sofiane Zermani, was presented in the official selection at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, in a midnight screening. He is currently working on the screenplay for his third feature film and is preparing to shoot a series this summer.

Barbara Pravi, author, composer and performer

Barbara Pravi has established herself as one of the most unique and embodied voices on the contemporary French  music scene . A committed artist, she crafts a universe that is both intimate and powerful, permeated by essential themes such as self-love, freedom, and resilience.

Her song “Voilà” marked a remarkable entry into the mainstream with over 650 million streams and launched a career that quickly transcended French borders. With her debut album, “On n’enferme pas les oiseaux” (We Don’t Lock Up Birds), certified gold, she confirmed her demanding and deeply soulful songwriting. This project earned her, among other accolades, the Victoire de la Musique award for Female Revelation and the Grand Prix Sacem for Song of the Year.

Drawing on diverse influences, from Serbia to Iran, by way of Poland and France, Barbara Pravi infuses her work with a rich cultural and personal experience that lends her repertoire a rare intensity. This artistic approach extends to her writing, as seen in *Lève-toi* (Rise Up), an illustrated Franco-Arab manifesto published by Éditions Julliard, a sensitive and committed work that testifies to the breadth of her artistic expression. An accomplished stage performer, she has already given more than 250 concerts in some twenty countries, commanding a magnetic and deeply expressive stage presence. At the same time, she is actively involved in social issues, using her fame to support causes that are essential to her. At the crossroads of music and storytelling, Barbara Pravi develops a sensitive and contemporary body of work, resonating with new forms of artistic creation and the challenges of sound.

Laurent Couson, composer and conductor

Laurent Couson has enjoyed a rich career spanning symphonic music, live performance, and film. Trained at the Tours Conservatory, then at the Paris Conservatory and the École Normale Supérieure, he quickly launched a career supported by Radio France, which commissioned his first works. His compositions have been performed in prestigious venues in France and internationally, from the Salle Pleyel to Carnegie Hall in New York.

He also conducts numerous renowned orchestras worldwide, including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the London Symphony Orchestra, and several ensembles in Europe and Asia. Highly active internationally, he has held music director positions in Morocco and Thailand, developing large-scale artistic projects and symphonic productions. In parallel, he creates critically acclaimed musical shows and composes ambitious works blending culture and spirituality. A film composer, he has written the soundtracks for some thirty feature films and collaborates with many leading artists. His eclectic career, encompassing musical creation, conducting, and teaching, testifies to an artistic sensibility deeply rooted in emotion and sonic storytelling.

Janine Langlois-Glandier, president of the Mobile Media Forum

A key figure in French audiovisual media, Janine Langlois-Glandier has led major institutions such as the SFP, France 3, La Sept (ARTE) or the INA, where she oversaw the digitization of the national archives.

She also worked within the Pathé group, chaired Pathé Télévision, and served on the French Broadcasting Authority (CSA) from 1997 to 2002. Committed to innovation and accessibility, she has chaired the Mobile Media Forum since 2004, which is involved in discussions surrounding 5G and content accessibility. A board member of TF1 until 2019, an active member of the Semaine du Son (Sound Week) and the Cannes Film Festival Jury for Best Sound Creation, she participated in the production of iconic films such as Life Is a Long Quiet River, The Last Metro, and Tess.

Jean-Luc Peart, sound engineer on set, member of the CST

After completing a university science course supplemented by training in sound techniques, Jean-Luc Péart began his career in cinema by participating in the shooting of short films.

He initially worked as a boom operator before becoming a sound engineer, collaborating on increasingly ambitious projects. His career has led him to work on both documentaries and feature films, developing a solid expertise in sound for film. His technical and artistic approach demonstrates a particular attention to the quality and precision of sound recording on set.

A passionate film enthusiast, he also joined the CNC’s classification commission, participating in the evaluation and regulation of films shown in France. As a member of the Higher Technical Commission for Image and Sound (CST), he is fully committed to a process of reflection and innovation surrounding the sound and image professions.

Christian Hugonnet, President of the NGO La Semaine du Son

Christian Hugonnet, a graduate engineer from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, began his career at Radio France, then joined the INA as a trainer in  musical sound recording and stereophony.

Christian Hugonnet : © Jean-Baptiste Millot.

After a year at IRCAM, he contributed to the creation of the CNSMDP’s Audiovisual Center and the Higher Education Program in Sound Engineering. A professor at the Louis-Lumière School (1985–2000) and president of the CST (French Society of Sound Engineers) in 2000, he has led numerous international seminars. Author of several reference works on stereophony, he created the International Multichannel Sound Forum in 1998, followed in 2004 by the Sound Week event, which became UNESCO’s Sound Week in 2019. In 2017, he launched the Best Sound Creation Award in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. A court-appointed expert, he has headed a firm specializing in the acoustics of concert halls and recording studios since 1993.

ABOUT SOUND WEEK – La Semaine du Son

The Sound Week Created in 2017 as part of the 70th Cannes Film Festival, the Best Sound Creation Award recognizes each year a director for the sound excellence of his film, “because it enhances the artistic, semantic and narrative perception of the viewer”.

Initiated by Janine Langlois-Glandier, Costa-Gavras, and Christian Hugonnet, in agreement with Thierry Frémaux, this prize is a key element of one of the world’s largest film festivals. It contributes to an essential approach: highlighting the role of sound in filmmaking.

This prize is sponsored by the NGO La Semaine du Son (Sound Week), founded in 1998 by Christian Hugonnet, which works to raise awareness among the general public and professionals about the importance of sound in our daily lives. Supported by UNESCO since 2017, the organization develops initiatives at the national and international levels around themes such as hearing health, the relationship between image and sound, musical expression, the sound environment, and recording techniques.

ABOUT THE PRICE

Initiated by Janine Langlois-Glandier, Costa Gavras, and Christian Hugonnet , in agreement with Thierry Frémaux , the prize was launched in 2017 during the 70th Cannes Film Festival. At the heart of one of the most prestigious international film festivals, it is part of an initiative to promote the role of sound, led by the NGO La Semaine du Son (Sound Week), as an extension of its annual awareness campaign held every January: UNESCO’s Sound Week

Each year, it awards a  director  for the sound excellence  of their film,  “because it enhances the  viewer ‘s artistic, semantic, and narrative perception .” The jury for each edition focuses on  rewarding sound creation in its broadest sense , encompassing musical and artistic aspects, but also those related to sound design (sound atmosphere, special effects, voice quality, spatialization, sound level, and the relationship between image and sound).

At the heart of one of the most prestigious international film festivals, it is part of an  initiative to promote the role of sound  led by the association “La Semaine du Son” as an extension of its awareness campaign-event organized every year in January since 2004: “UNESCO’s La Semaine du Son”.

They received the award for best sound design:

  • 2017: “Beauty and the Dogs” by director Kaouther Ben Hania
  • 2018: “Gräns” by Danish director Ali Abbasi
  • 2019: “Come the fire” (“O que verde”) by Olivier Laxe. 2021: “Noche de fuego” (Prayers for the stolen) by Tatiana HUEZO
  • 2021: “ Noche de fuego ” (Prayers for the stolen) by Tatiana HUEZO
  • 2022: “Corsage” by Marie Kreutzer 2024: “ARMAND” 1st film by Halfdan Ullmann Tondel
  • 2024: “ ARMAND ” 1st film by Halfdan Ullmann Tondel
  • 2025: ” The Plague ” by director Charlie Polinger

More information:

Copyright: © 2026 La Semaine du Son. All rights reserved.

Movies

Photos:

  • Christian Hugonnet: photo credit © Jean-Baptiste Millot
  • Barbara Pravi © Thibault Manuel
  • Janine Langlois Glandier © David Guiraud
  • Laurent Couson / Vincent Cardona: © DR (rights reserved).

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