QThis evening live at 9.30pm on Rai 1 the 2026 David di Donatello awards ceremony will be broadcast71st edition of the highest award for Italian cinema. The best Italian films are competing for the statuette released between March 1 and December 31, 2025. Bianca Balti and Flavio Insinna will host the event.
David di Donatello 2026 on Rai 1: live time tonight 6 May, who are the hosts
Starting from 9.30pm on Rai 1 the evening will begin from Teatro 23 in Cinecittà inaugurated for the occasion. The awards ceremony will be broadcast in 4K on the Rai4K channel and also live on Rai Radio2 – hosted by Martina Martorano and Massimo Cervelli – and on the RaiPlay platform. After the last edition hosted by Elena Sofia Ricci and the singer Mika, this year the choice fell on the top model Bianca Balti and Flavio Insinna.
The special David, the lifetime achievement one and the guests of the evening
The David for Lifetime Achievement this year it will be awarded to one of the most important and awarded Italian authors: Gianni Amelio. Author of a cinema loved by audiences and critics, the choice of Amelio was thus motivated by the President of David Piera Detassis: «A lifetime achievement award that celebrates a man who deserves a special place in our cultural history. For passion, for identification, for the storytelling ability, for the unique ability to combine vision, pure imagination and strong civil sentiment and social.”
The David Speciale will instead go to director Bruno Bozzetto, born in 1938, undisputed master of animation Italian and international. Among the awards already announced, the David for Best International Film a One battle after another and the David of the Spectator a Good Camino by Gennaro Nunziante. It will also be assigned the Cinecittà David 71 Special Prize to the great director of photography Vittorio Storaro. Past collaborator of directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Bernardo Bertolucci.
Among the guests of the evening there will be Matthew Modine, Stefania Sandrelli, AnnalisaRaoul Bova, Margherita Vicario, Arisa, Francesca Michielin, Tommaso Paradiso, Angela Finocchiaro and Nino Frassica. Ornella Muti will also participate in the ceremony who will go on stage to collect the Special David awarded to her by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano in the last edition.
The films, actors and directors nominated for the David 2026: the five
During the ceremony, 26 David di Donatello Awards will be awarded voted by the Jury of the Italian Film Academymade up of filmmakers nominated and awarded in past years, as well as journalists, film critics and personalities from culture and society. In total there are 1780 jurors voting.
There are 24 films nominated this year and the titles that have received the most nominations are: The cities of the plain (16), Grace (14), The tasters (13) While there are 8 applications Duse by Pietro Marcello, Out by Mario Martone e The forbidden city by Gabriele Mainetti. There are Davids competing for Best Film and Best Director The cities of the plain (Francesco Sossai), Grace (Paolo Sorrentino), Five seconds (Paolo Virzì), The tasters (Silvio Soldini) And Out (Mario Martone).
In the running for Best Leading Actress: Barbara Ronchi For Elisa, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi For DuseValeria Golino For OutAnna Ferzetti For Grace and Tecla Insolia For Spring. The candidates instead for the category Best Leading Actor I am: Valerio Mastandrea For Five seconds, Claudio Santamaria For The Kite, Toni Servillo For Grace And Pierpaolo Capovilla And Sergio Romano For The cities of the plain.
A scene from the film “The Cities of the Plain” by Francesco Sossai. (Lucky Red)
Predictions on the winners: Sossai beats Sorrentino in the main categories
According to rumors and rumors from the usual well-informed, predictions are that he is the favorite for Best Film The cities of the plain by Francesco Sossai, followed by Grace of Sorrentino. Much more detached The tasters by Silvio Soldini e Five seconds by Paolo Virzì.
Sossai should always win the Best Director category while the probable ones winners for best interpretation are Toni Servillo and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, favorite for her performance in Duse by Pietro Marcello.
Great chances of winning, as Best Supporting Actress, for Matilda De Angelis with Out by Mario Martone while for the fifth of Best Supporting Actor victory seems obvious Andrea Pennacchi For The cities of the plain. Greta Scarano is also a favorite for Best Directorial Debut with his debut Life as adults.
