LOS ANGELES — The Cinema Audio Society (cinemaaudiosociety.org) announced that Academy Award–winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will receive the organization’s Filmmaker Award at the 62nd Annual CAS Awards, set to take place Saturday, March 7, 2026. The 62nd CAS Awards will honor Outstanding Achievements in Sound Mixing in seven categories: Motion Pictures – Live Action, Motion Pictures – Animated, Motion Pictures – Documentary, Non-Theatrical Motion Pictures or Limited Series, Television Series – One Hour, Television Series – Half Hour, and Television Non-Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials. The CAS Student Recognition Award, as well as as the CAS Career Achievement Award will also be presented.
“The CAS Filmmaker Award recognizes directors who understand the critical role that sound plays in film and television, and Guillermo embodies that appreciation at the highest level,” says CAS president Peter Kurland. “His films are defined not only by their stunning visuals and deeply human themes but also by their masterful use of sound to build atmosphere, suspense, and wonder. Guillermo’s collaboration with sound artists has elevated every story he’s told. We are thrilled to celebrate his contributions to the art form.”
“Audiovisual entertainment — telling stories with images and sound — well, it requires the most careful composition and exacting standards to deliver a memorable experience in every theatre and every home,” shares del Toro. “It is an honor to be recognized by those whom I consider and value as my peers and my admired colleagues.”
The Mexican-born filmmaker has created a distinctive cinematic style that blends horror, fantasy and his exuberant personal visual imagery. He studied under Oscar-winning special effects artist Dick Smith and made his first feature, Cronos (1993), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Critics Prize. He followed with Mimic (1997), The Devil’s Backbone (2001), and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay and won three Academy Awards for Art Direction, Cinematography, and Makeup.
Del Toro went on to direct and produce internationally acclaimed works including Hellboy (2004), Pacific Rim (2013), and Crimson Peak (2015). His film The Shape of Water (2017) received 13 Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best Picture and Best Director, as well as the Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for Best Director. His first stop-motion feature, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022), co-directed with the late Mark Gustafson, received the Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Producers Guild Award for Best Animated Film. His upcoming Netflix live-action feature, Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth, is set for release on October 17, 2025.