Steven Spielberg Honored with MPA America250 Award
Rivkin Presented Award at Spielberg’s First-Ever CinemaCon
Pictures from the Award Presentation are Available Here
LAS VEGAS – The Motion Picture Association (MPA) today presented filmmaker Steven Spielberg with the MPA America250 Award, a one-time honor recognizing his profound and enduring impact on American storytelling. The presentation took place during Spielberg’s inaugural appearance at CinemaCon.
The MPA recognized Spielberg as a defining American filmmaker who tells the nation’s stories with empathy and conviction – one who honors the resilience, sacrifice, and shared ideals that bind Americans together while elevating their voices on the world stage.
“Every year, the MPA Awards spotlight leaders shaping filmmaking today and ensuring our industry thrives into the future. This year, we added the MPA America250 Award – a one-time honor for a one-of-a-kind visionary whose career speaks to cinema’s central role in America’s cultural impact, economic strength, and ideals of freedom,” said Charles Rivkin, MPA Chairman and CEO. “Steven Spielberg is an unmatched artist, a uniquely visionary creator, and a true American legend – no one better represents the American spirit – and no one is more deserving of this special award.”
Rivkin’s full remarks can be found here.
While accepting the MPA America250 Award, Spielberg said:
“This award is deeply meaningful — made all the more special by the fact that it commemorates the 250th anniversary of our country and also because it comes from an organization that is dedicated to preserving the creative freedoms that allow all storytellers to dream uncensored,” said Spielberg. “I am thankful for all the MPA does to promote and protect our industry and we owe them a debt of gratitude for always fighting the good fight.”
The MPA is a supporting partner of America250, the bipartisan organization leading the celebration and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The annual MPA Awards ceremony will take place later this year at the MPA’s global headquarters in Washington, DC. The ceremony will celebrate the 2026 honorees for the MPA Creator Award, MPA Industry Champion Awards, and MPA Creative Protector Award. Those honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.
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About The Motion Picture Association
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are: Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.
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