Bardem, who also won this year's best supporting actor Oscar for his role as a psychotic hit man in the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men, was selected for the €30,000 ($NZ62,000) prize by a 10-man jury of experts.
Born into a family of actors 39 years ago in the Canary Islands, Bardem was chosen for "goals achieved throughout a long career."
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry highlighted Bardem's "defense of the acting profession and a constant commitment to Spanish cinema."
