Horror icon John Carpenter will be among the filmmakers and performers honored at the sixth annual Academy Museum Gala, taking place October 17, 2026. Carpenter will receive the museum’s Luminary Award alongside fellow honorees Charlize Theron and Colman Domingo.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced that Carpenter will receive the Luminary Award, which recognizes an artist whose contributions have expanded the creative possibilities of filmmaking. Theron will receive the Icon Award, celebrating an artist whose career has made a significant global impact, while Domingo will receive the Vantage Award, honoring an artist helping to challenge dominant narratives around cinema.

For horror fans, Carpenter’s recognition comes during a particularly fitting year for the Academy Museum. The filmmaker and composer is also participating in programming connected to The Horror Show, the museum’s new large-scale exhibition devoted to the genre.

Carpenter will host three nights of screenings featuring his films, including a September 26 presentation of his 1978 landmark Halloween. The screenings are part of the museum’s programming surrounding The Horror Show and give audiences another opportunity to revisit Carpenter’s work on the big screen ahead of the October gala.

Theron is also participating in the museum’s public programming, joining its Teen Council for a conversation on August 22 accompanied by a screening of Mad Max: Fury Road.

The 2026 Academy Museum Gala will be co-chaired by Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg, and Kate Capshaw. The event serves as an annual fundraiser supporting the museum’s exhibitions, educational programs, public screenings, and efforts to make its programming accessible to visitors.

A host committee featuring figures from across the entertainment industry has also been announced, including Jessica Alba, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman, Jon M. Chu, Kirsten Dunst, Regina Hall, Jessica Lange, Rami Malek, Demi Moore, Questlove, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen, and Teyana Taylor, among others.

Carpenter’s Luminary Award adds another horror-focused moment to the Academy Museum’s 2026 calendar. Between the gala recognition, his September screenings, and The Horror Show exhibition, the museum is giving genre fans several reasons to keep an eye on its programming this fall.