The CST Award for Best Artist-Technician () is an independent film award created in 2003. It rewards the work of a technician for his or her collaboration in the creation of a film from the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It is awarded by a special jury, appointed by the Superior Technical Commission of Image and Sound ( or CST).
In 1951, the CST created the Technical Grand Prize () of the CST, awarded during the Cannes Film Festival. That prize existed until 2000.
In 2003, Pierre-William Glenn, president of the CST, struggled to once again have a prize awarded to a technician during the Cannes Film Festival. Thus, the Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist was born as a part of the festival roster and approved by the festival's president Gilles Jacob.
In 2019, it was renamed the ë CST Award for Best Artist-Technician û.
Since 2021, the CST has also been awarding the CST Award for Best Young Female Film Technician, to highlight a young female head of station in French cinema.
The actual trophy is awarded to the winner in Paris, during a special evening following the festival.
It is inspired by an image from Jean-Luc Godard's movie Le Mépris (Contempt) (1963) and represents a movie camera with analog and numeric elements.