Spielberg Honored at MoMA Film Benefit in New York

Steven Spielberg was celebrated at the Museum of Modern Art’s annual Film Benefit in New York City on November 12, 2026. The 18th edition of the event, presented with CHANEL, honored the director’s career spanning five decades and raised funds for MoMA’s film department.

Friends and collaborators at the benefit included Martin Short, Steve Martin, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Drew Barrymore, Emily Blunt and Zoe Saldaña. Tom Cruise, who appeared in two Spielberg films, made a surprise speech to open the evening, praising the sense of wonder and anticipation he associates with the director’s work.

On the red carpet, Spielberg recalled meeting director John Ford while he was in high school. He said the encounter, including Ford’s advice about positioning the horizon in a shot, was recreated in the final scene of Spielberg’s 2022 film, The Fabelmans. Riley Keough, who has not worked with Spielberg, praised his ability to create distinct worlds and said filmmaking needs exceptional movies.

Spielberg used his speech to emphasize that filmmaking depends on collaboration, saying his achievements were made possible by the people who worked with him. Ariana DeBose performed a pared-down version of “Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us),” from Spielberg’s West Side Story, and Bruce Springsteen closed the evening with “Dancing in the Dark.”