Kathleen Kennedy to Be Awarded with Motion Picture Sound Editors Filmmaker Award

Kathleen Kennedy has been selected to receive the 2026 edition of the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Filmmaker Award.

Via Variety, the MPSE Filmmaker Award is given to an individual outside the sound community whose career has demonstrated a great appreciation and understanding of the impact of sound editing. As someone with such an esteemed career as a movie producer way before she was made president of Lucasfilm and revived Star Wars on the big screen, you’d imagine that Kathleen Kennedy probably does understand a lot about the importance of sound editing.

David Barber, president of the Motion Picture Sound Editors, prepared a statement about their decision to bestow the award upon Kennedy.

“The Motion Picture Sound Editors are thrilled to honor Kathleen Kennedy with this year’s 2025 Filmmaker Award. Her pioneering work has inspired, supported, and influenced countless filmmakers worldwide. Kathleen’s legacy defies generational constraints. Through the stories she has brought to the screen, her impact on art and culture will endure — entertaining, educating, and moving future generations.”

To get a little bit of context around the company that Kathleen Kennedy is keeping here, the MPSE is also bestowing the MPSE Career Achievement Award on Mark Mangini, whose resumé includes Dune, Blade Runner 2049 and Mad Max: Fury Road.

While Kennedy has of course acted as a producer on every single Star Wars project to be released since The Force Awakens in 2015, her previous films include Lincoln, War Horse, Hook and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, along with Steven Spielberg joints Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List and E.T. When you think of the importance of sound design in the Star Wars franchise, it’s clear she has plenty of knowhow in that area.

The awards will be presented on March 8, 2026 during the MPSE’s Annual Golden Reel Awards Gala in Los Angeles.