KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 -- Japanese animation giant Studio Ghibli will receive an Honorary Palme d'Or award at the upcoming 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

In a statement from Cannes yesterday, the festival revealed that this will be the first time the award is given to a group.

The award is given to directors or actors who 'had achieved a notable body of work' but have never won a competitive Palme d'Or.

Previous Honorary Palme d'Or recipients have included Ingmar Bergman, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, and George Lucas among others.

Cannes said the Studio Ghibli founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata 'unleashed a fresh wind on animated film' since the 1980s by creating great stories and beloved characters.

Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio...