The prize was announced at Hollywood's biggest pre-Oscars awards show appropriately enough by his compatriot, blockbuster actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"I never thought to get an award in Hollywood (from) an Austrian," said Haneke, who beat fellow nominees "A Royal Affair" (Denmark), "The Intouchables" (France), "Kon-Tiki" (Norway) and "Rust and Bone" (France/Belgium).

The heart wrenching tale of a man and his dying wife won Haneke his second Palme d'Or last May, after he had already received the award in 2009 for his Oscar-nominated "The White Ribbon."

Starring French acting legend Jean-Louis Trintignant, the French-language film beat 21 other movies to claim the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the world's most prestigious movie fest.

Austrian Haneke, 70, has established himself in recent years as one of the most important film directors in Europe, with films like "The Piano Teacher," "Cache," and "Funny Games."