George Clooney, who will no doubt be receiving his share of honors this awards season for his work on both The Descendants and The Ides of March, has been named recipient of the Chairman's Award at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival.

The award will be presented on January 7 at PSIFF's annual Awards Gala, a black-tie event that always hands out an array of awards to luminaries who figure to be in the Oscar race.

Like the awards given at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in late January, the Palm Springs event has become a valuable stop on the Oscar campaign trail.

George Clooney brings new definition to the word 'star,' said festival chairman Harold Matzner in a press release announcing the honor. A consummate actor, director, producer and screenwriter, he's demonstrated that no discipline within the film industry is beyond his reach.

Previous recipients of the Chairman's Award include Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Ben Affleck.

In October, PSIFF announced that Glenn Close will receive its Career Achievement Award.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival will take place from January 5-16 in the desert resort town east of Los Angeles.

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