The Palme d'Or, a direct reference to the Cannes coat of arms

The legendary trophy has been awarded since 1955. Previously, since the first edition of the Cannes event officially launched in 1946 (the initial 1939 event having been canceled by the outbreak of the Second World War), the winners received the Grand Prix of the International Film Festival. This was above all an honorary distinction awarded by the jury, and whose material form varied from one year to the next: it could be a statuette, or another symbolic object, created by a contemporary artist in vogue, and still designed for the occasion. So, there was no Palme d'Or as a standardized award yet. But it was already an internationally recognized title, a real distinction that marked cinematic excellence. And a symbol already closely associated with the city of Cannes, since it appears on the city's coat of arms and is also part of its motto, " Praemium palma victori which means " the palm belongs to the winner "Legend has it that Saint-Honorat obtained from God the destruction of the poisonous snakes that infested the Island of Lérins, thanks to a tidal wave from which he survived by climbing a palm tree, to avoid being swept away by the waves.

The coat of arms of the city of Cannes: Azure, a silver palm placed in a bar, accompanied by two gold fleurs-de-lys

Robert Favre le Bret, an inseparable figure of the Cannes Film Festival, behind the Palme d'Or

The idea of ​​the Palme d'Or as a trophy emerged in 1954 at the initiative of Robert Favre le Bret (1904 – 1987), a former French journalist working in particular for Paris Match. He was in charge of artistic and cultural matters at the Tourism Commission when he was entrusted with the post of Secretary General for the first edition of the Cannes Film Festival in 1946. He then served as General Delegate between 1952 and 1972 - one of the key roles in the organization and management of the event - and President from 1972 to 1983. Robert Favre le Bret is an absolutely inseparable figure of the Cannes Film Festival, which he created and grew to the scale that we know it to be, from a gathering of amateurs bringing together 600 people to a gigantic market bringing together 40 film professionals and visitors from all over the world. He also knew how to expand the event, for example giving carte blanche to the French Association of Film Critics to create a new section: the Critics' Week.

The jury members of the Cannes Film Festival pose on the terrace of the Palais des Festivals, 13th May 1977. From left to right, Maurice Bessy (1910 - 1993), G. Jacob, Carlos Fuentes, Roberto Rossellini (1906 - 1977), Benoite Groult, Marthe Keller, Jacques Demy (1931 - 1990), Pauline Kael (1919 - 2001), Anatole Dauman (1925 - 1998), festival director Robert Favre le Bret and writer Dr N'Sougan Agblemagnon. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Surely keen to give the Cannes Film Festival a stronger and more recognizable identity - the Venice Film Festival had its Lion, the Berlinale its Bear - he proposed using the Palme d'Or as a symbol of the highest award. An idea that met with unanimous approval and was soon implemented: the Board of Directors of the Cannes Film Festival launched a call for tenders from several jewelers from all over Europe. It was the proposal of the French painter, engraver and jeweler Lucienne Lazon, which was chosen and used from 1955. The jewelry designer, born in Cambrai, in the North of France in 1910, had already exhibited her work at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and several critics had already highlighted the intelligence of her creations. A trophy was developed from her design: the Palme d'Or was born! The first film to win it was a romantic comedy, Marty, by the American Delbert Mann, also awarded an Oscar the following year.

The modernization of the Palme d'Or by the jeweler Chopard

From its first use in 1955, the Palme d'Or was used for ten years, rewarding, among others, Marcel Camus for Black Orpheus in 1959, Luis Buñuel for Viridiana in 1961, or Luchino Visconti for The Guépard, in 1963… but in 1964, the prestigious trophy was abandoned, due to lack of funds. The following ten years were therefore marked by the return of the certainly less iconic Grand Prix of the International Film Festival: no palm therefore, for Claude Lelouche, winner for A man and a woman in 1966. Neither for Francis Ford Coppola, for Conversation in 1974. The award made its grand return in 1975, in a red leather case padded with white suede. A few years later, in 1982, it even appeared on the official poster as a logo, further strengthening its connection with the festival and the imagery associated with it.

In 1998, our iconic Palme d'Or entered a new era and took on the form we know today, on its beveled rectangular crystal cushion, enhancing a palm with 19 leaves lacquered in yellow gold. Its creation and production were entrusted to the legendary Swiss jewelry house Chopard, under the presidency of Pierre Viot and the artistic direction of Caroline Scheufele. A true feat of jewelry that took place in the Chopard workshops, in the heart of the Meyrin factory, near Geneva, Switzerland - each palm, handcrafted, requires 40 hours of work and the intervention of seven artisans, and the gold used has been certified eco-responsible since 2014 (Fairmined, as part of The Journey program launched by Chopard in 2013 to promote a more ethical and responsible luxury industry). The Greek Theo Angelopoulos was the first winner, for his film Eternity and a Day in 1998… until Sean Baker in 2024 for AnoraAnd, as you may have noticed, a certain Robert De Niro, for his entire career, opened the 78th Cannes Film Festival, which promises to continue to dazzle us.

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 13: Robert De Niro (R) accepts the honorary Palme d'Or from Leonardo DiCaprio onstage during the opening ceremony at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais de Festival on May 13, 2025 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)