The Highest Honor for a Career in Film
The American Film Institute champions the future of the moving image as an art form.
We believe in the revolutionary power of visual storytelling to share diverse perspectives, inspire empathy and drive culture forward.
All proceeds from the AFI Life Achievement Award support the American Film Institute as a nonprofit organization.
Nicole Kidman in collaboration with Baz Luhrmann for Vogue Australia (1994)
Photo: Rocky Schenck @ rockyschenck.com
“
Nicole Kidman has enchanted audiences for decades with the daring of her artistry and the glamour of a screen icon. She is a force both brave in her choices and bold in each performance.”
-Kathleen Kennedy, Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees
“Nicole is a great character actor who also burns so brightly as a star upon the screen.”
-Baz Luhrmann
Nicole Kidman, Baz Luhrmann and Hugh Jackman on the set of AUSTRALIA
Courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox
“
“My mother wanted girls who were educated, aware of everything,
and opinionated. So did my father. They wanted us to be sure of being able to speak out.”
– Nicole Kidman
– Nicole Kidman
Early Life
Nicole Mary Kidman was born in 1967 in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Antony David and Janelle Ann Kidman. A few years later, the Kidmans returned to Australia where they welcomed her sister Antonia to the family.
“If you have a sister, as a woman it's such a blessing.”
– Nicole Kidman
“My first love was theater...I remember getting up on stage, I remember watching those outrageous, fun pantomimes. That was probably my first desire to be on stage.”
– Nicole Kidman
BUSH CHRISTMAS (1983)
Nicole Kidman and Mark Spain (left)
BMX BANDITS (1983)
L-R: Angelo D'Angelo, James Lugton and Nicole Kidman
RGR Collection / Alamy Stock Photo. California Pictures.
“Spring Awakening” – Australian Theatre for Young People (1984)
Courtesy of Nicole Kidman. Copyright Geoffrey Boccalatte
VIETNAM (1987)
Copyright (c) 1998 Shutterstock.
“Steel Magnolias” – Sydney’s Seymour Centre for the Performing Arts (1988)
“Acting is a place I get to exist in different realms, and I really feel that there’s an otherworldly quality to it.”
– Nicole Kidman
Breakout performance
DEAD CALM (1989)
HOLLYWOOD DEBUT
DAYS OF THUNDER (1990)
Courtesy of Paramount
FLIRTING (1991)
L-R: Naomi Watts, Thandiwe Newton and Nicole Kidman
Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
“She worked harder than I’ve ever seen anybody work. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for the part…I had never seen anything like it.”
– Gus Van Sant, Director
First Golden Globe Win –Best Actress, Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
TO DIE FOR (1995)
BATMAN FOREVER (1995)
Val Kilmer and Nicole Kidman
THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY (1996)
“I saw her becoming very intuitive with her work, willing to go places
I hadn’t imagined before.”
– Jane Campion, Director of THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
Front row (L-R): Barbara Hershey, Nicole Kidman, Valentina Cervi, Jane Campion
Back row (L-R): Martin Donovan, Christian Bale
PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998)
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
“In my heart
I’m independent,
a bit of a rebel,
a nonconformist.”
– Nicole Kidman
“When I met Nicole Kidman, I found a woman who was very bright, funny and energetic. I wanted to get that on the stage.”
– Sam Mendes, Director
of “The Blue Room”
West End and Broadway Debut and Nominated for Laurence Olivier Award – Best Actress
“The Blue Room” (1998)
EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)
Kidman with director Stanley Kubrick and co-star Madison Eginton
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
“I try never to be governed by fear; that's how I choose things. If I ever feel that this is dangerous or I'm scared of it, then that probably draws me more towards it.”
– Nicole Kidman
First Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress
MOULIN ROUGE! (2001)
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
“She’s not only acting in more challenging roles consistently but she’s also producing and creating, and
I think she’s someone to be admired.”
– Baz Luhrmann, Director of MOULIN ROUGE!
L–R: Actor Jim Broadbent, director Baz Luhrmann, Nicole Kidman, choreographer John O’Connell on the set of MOULIN ROUGE!
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor
GOLDEN GLOBE AND BAFTA AWARD nomINations for best actress
THE OTHERS (2001)
Courtesy of Paramount
Alejandro Amenábar and Nicole Kidman
“She’s a great actress, and the character really became stronger and richer with her performance.”
– Alejandro Amenábar, Director of THE OTHERS
Winner – Academy Award® for Best Actress
THE HOURS (2002)
Nicole Kidman and Stephen Daldry
“It is a searing, searching, fearless performance by a leading actress at the height of her powers.”
–Stephen Daldry, Director of THE HOURS
75th Academy Awards Ceremony (2003)
From the Academy Awards show photographs of the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“I have such appreciation and gratitude for this. Stephen Daldry, you took a huge chance on me. I am so grateful…I am just absolutely thrilled to be standing up here tonight.”
–Nicole Kidman
accepting the Oscar® for Best Actress
in a Leading Role for THE HOURS
DOGVILLE (2003)
L-R: Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson and Lauren Bacall
RGR Collection / Alamy Stock Photo/Lionsgate
“She has an insatiable appetite to explore new worlds and characters and her range is quite extraordinary.”
– Lauren Bacall, Co-star in DOGVILLE
Golden Globe nomination – Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
COLD MOUNTAIN (2003)
Copyright © Paramount Pictures and Miramax. All Rights Reserved.
Anthony Minghella and Nicole Kidman
Golden Globe nomination – Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
BIRTH (2004)
THE INTERPRETER (2005)
Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn
BEWITCHED (2005)
© 2005 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“She’s a delight and remarkable and she’s alive at every moment…It’s an amazing experience to work with her.”
–Nora Ephron, Director of BEWITCHED
HAPPY FEET (2006)
©2006 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. - U.S., Canada, Bahamas & Bermuda. ©2006 Village Roadshow Films (BVI) Limited
UN Women Goodwill Ambassador (2006)
Nicole Kidman in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to amplify the voices of Haitian girls and women
“I see my role as an advocate to end violence against women and girls. It is one of the most important roles of my life.”
–Nicole Kidman
Companion of the Order of Australia (2006)
Nicole Kidman and Governor-General of Australia Michael Jeffery, awarded for her contribution to cinema, her work promoting women's and children's health and her advocacy for cancer research.
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING (2007)
Jack Black and Nicole Kidman
“Nicole gives everything to her performance, and you can’t ask for more as a director…She can provide something different and unique in every take.”
– Noah Baumbach, Director of
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING (2007)
Nicole Kidman and Noah Baumbach
AUSTRALIA (2008)
Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman
TM & ©2007 Twentieth Century Fox - All Rights Reserved - Not for sale or duplication.
“As actor/director, we’ve come to another place where we really push each other to another level.”
– Baz Luhrmann, Director of AUSTRALIA
NINE (2009)
Front row (L-R): Penélope Cruz, Fergie, Daniel Day-Lewis
Back row (L-R): Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson
WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
“I do believe, and I hope,
we can elicit change through the stories we tell and the way we tell them.”
– Nicole Kidman
First film produced by Kidman's Blossom Films
Academy Award nominATION – Best Actress in a Leading Role
RABBIT HOLE (2010)
Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart
AJ Pics / Alamy Stock Photo/©BLOSSOM FILMS
Nicole Kidman with producing partner and Blossom Films co-founder Per Saari
Kidman with director John Cameron Mitchell while filming RABBIT HOLE
Primetime Emmy Award Nominee – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN (2012)
Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen
Alamy/©HBO
Studiocanal
PADDINGTON (2014)
WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
PjrTravel / Alamy Stock Photo
Best Actress - London Evening Standard Theatre Award
“Photograph 51” (2015)
Alamy/©HBO
“Every night to be doing what I did when I was a child…to be doing it again. It just felt so satisfying to be performing in front of an audience.”
– Nicole Kidman
L-R: “Photograph 51” playwright Anna Ziegler, Nicole Kidman, director Michael Grandage, actor Stephen Campbell Moore
Yui Mok/PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
Kidman and Keith Urban at the 61st London Evening Standard Theatre Awards
Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire
Academy Award nominATION – Best Supporting Actress
LION (2016)
L-R: Nicole Kidman, David Wenham and Sunny Pawar
Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo/Lionsgate
THE BEGUILED (2017)
Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell
© 2017 Focus Features LLC. All Rights Reserved.
L-R: Colin Farrell, Angourie Rice, Addison Riecke, Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, Kirsten Dunst and Youree Henley at THE BEGUILED world premiere at the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival
“It was like watching a virtuoso or an incredible athlete. We’d do a scene, and she’d have five different emotions going on at the same time.”
– Sofia Coppola, Director of THE BEGUILED
Cannes Film Festival 70th Anniversary Prize (2017)
“We women have to support female directors, that’s a given.”
– Nicole Kidman
2017 Winner ICS Cannes Award, Special Mention - Best Actress
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017)
TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL (2017)
Nicole Kidman with co-star Alice Englert
Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo/See-Saw Films
“I love Nicole’s natural confidence that she can bring to a character and humor.”
– Jane Campion, Director of TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL
Primetime Emmy Award Winner – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Primetime Emmy Award Winner – Outstanding Limited Series
BIG LITTLE LIES (2017-2019)
Courtesy of HBO
“It’s the biggest success I’ve ever had with another woman, in my entire career, and hers. For me, to have that experience with her, to be in the trenches with her, it’s been everything.”
– Reese Witherspoon, Actress and Executive Producer of BIG LITTLE LIES
Christine Chew/UPI/Shutterstock
BIG LITTLE LIES Emmy® Wins
L-R: Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz and Laura Dern at the 69th Primetime Emmy® Awards
“When we join forces we’re
so much more powerful.”
– Nicole Kidman
Golden Globe Nomination – Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
DESTROYER (2018)
©2018 Annapurna Releasing, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Karyn Kusama and Nicole Kidman
“When you look at her career, it’s hard to deny the daring that she brings to her work.”
–Karyn Kusama, Director of DESTROYER
BOMBSHELL (2019)
L-R: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie
Golden Globe Nomination – Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
THE UNDOING (2020)
© 2020 Netflix, Inc.
THE PROM (2020)
L-R: James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells, Meryl Streep
Front row (L-R): Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells, director Ryan Murphy, Meryl Streep, James Corden
Back row (L-R): Ariana DeBose, Kerry Washington, Kevin Chamberlin, Keegan-Michael Key, Jo Ellen Pellman
Vince Valitutti/Hulu
NINE PERFECT STRANGERS (2021)
“Part of my mission is to give chances to creatives, women especially...When you get to this point in your career, it becomes your greatest joy.”
– Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman with fellow Australian Liane Moriarty, author of “Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Big Little Lies”
BEING THE RICARDOS (2021)
Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem
Director Aaron Sorkin and Nicole Kidman
THE NORTHMAN (2022)
EXPATS (2024)
Brian Tee, Nicole Kidman and director Lulu Wang
Wang and Kidman with Tiana Gowen, Connor James and Bodhi del Rosario
“
– Nicole Kidman
NICOLE KIDMAN
49TH AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT
From the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation photographs of the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
An Academy Award®, BAFTA, Emmy® and Golden Globe Award winner, Nicole Kidman has earned a reputation for her extraordinary talent, commitment to her craft and desire to collaborate with auteur filmmakers including Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, Karyn Kusama, Baz Luhrmann, Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Aaron Sorkin, Gus Van Sant and Lulu Wang.
After a stunning breakthrough performance in the psychological thriller DEAD CALM (1989) and making her foray into Hollywood films in Tony Scott’s DAYS OF THUNDER (1990), Kidman proved her talent early on to move seamlessly between independent and studio films as a powerhouse performer. She has gone on to captivate global audiences ever since, with remarkably nuanced performances characterized by their unflinching courage, vulnerability and tenacity.
For her performance as Suzanne Stone in Gus Van Sant’s satirical dark comedy TO DIE FOR (1995), Kidman took home her first Golden Globe Award. In 1996, Kidman teamed up with acclaimed director Jane Campion for their first project together, THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY, later collaborating with Campion as a producer on the film IN THE CUT (2003) and starring in her critically acclaimed series TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL (2017).
“She makes incredibly intelligent choices about her material, but also the range she can find within herself feels dazzling.”
– Stephen Daldry
Nicole Kidman and Stephen Daldry
Courtesy of Paramount
Continuing to deliver complex and versatile performances, Kidman returned to the theater – where she first honed her craft as a young teenager in Sydney, Australia – and made her highly lauded London stage debut in 1998 in “The Blue Room,” David Hare’s modern adaptation of Schnitzler’s “La Ronde.” For her performance, Kidman won London’s Evening Standard Award and was nominated in the Best Actress category for a Laurence Olivier Award.
Over the next few years, Kidman left no doubt as to her status as a spellbinding movie star, with her daring performance as Alice Harford in Stanley Kubrick’s EYES WIDE SHUT (1999) and captivating portrayal of Satine in Baz Luhrmann’s MOULIN ROUGE! (2001). For her dazzling performance in Lurhmann’s innovative musical, Kidman was nominated for her first Academy Award® for Best Actress.
The following year, Kidman gave a wonderfully restrained and transformational turn as Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s THE HOURS (2002) and won the Oscar® for Best Actress. In their review of the film, The New York Times called her portrayal of Woolf “a performance of astounding bravery.”
“She has an insatiable appetite to explore new worlds and characters and her range is quite extraordinary.”
– Lauren Bacall, Actress in DOGVILLE
Kidman continued pushing boundaries and expectations, working on films like Anthony Minghella’s COLD MOUNTAIN (2003), Lars von Trier’s DOGVILLE (2005), Nora Ephron’s BEWITCHED (2005), Sydney Pollack’s THE INTERPRETER (2005) and Luhrmann’s AUSTRALIA (2008). In 2010, Kidman expanded into film and television producing, co-founding Blossom Films with her longtime producing partner Per Saari to support artists and explore new perspectives. The release of their first film, RABBIT HOLE (2010), based on the stage play of the same name, starred Kidman as Becca and was directed by John Cameron Mitchell. For her performance, Kidman was nominated for her third Academy Award®, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
“She has found a way...to tell stories that are interesting, about women, made by women, produced by women.”
– Jane Campion
In 2012, Kidman landed her first Emmy® nomination for her starring role in Philip Kaufman’s HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN. She later went on to play the villain in the beloved family film PADDINGTON (2014), star in the 2015 West End production of Anna Ziegler’s "Photograph 51,” for which she won London’s Evening Standard Award, and receive her fourth Academy Award® nomination for her performance in Garth Davis’ LION (2016).
In 2017, the television series BIG LITTLE LIES, created by David E. Kelley, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, and starring Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz, premiered to great acclaim. Kidman won two Emmys® for her work on the show – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series as an Executive Producer under her Blossom Films banner.
That same year, the historical thriller THE BEGUILED, starring Kidman and directed by Sofia Coppola, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where Kidman was honored with the 70th Anniversary Prize for her body of work and longstanding history with the festival. During her speech, Kidman committed to working with female filmmakers much more often, stating that “we women have to support female directors, that’s a given.”
In 2018, Kidman starred in Karyn Kusama’s DESTROYER, a gritty, riveting and complex crime thriller, featuring a virtuoso performance by Kidman as hardened detective Erin Bell.
Over the next few years, Kidman shifted effortlessly between television and film. Reuniting with David E. Kelley, she produced and starred in the television series THE UNDOING (2020), which was directed by Susanne Bier, and NINE PERFECT STRANGERS (2021). On the silver screen, she transformed into Gretchen Carlson for BOMBSHELL (2019) and Lucille Ball for BEING THE RICARDOS (2021), which earned Kidman her fifth Academy Award® nomination.
Renowned for her captivating presence on screen, Kidman’s many talents also include a mastery of musical performance – such as her contribution to the soundtrack for MOULIN ROUGE! Her debut single “Come What May,” a duet with co-star Ewan McGregor, was one of the highest-selling singles by an Australian singer in 2001. The song was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and is included on AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 SONGS list of the greatest American movie music, and the film was included on AFI’s list of the greatest movie musicals of all time.
Kidman with her mother Janelle (L) and her sister Antonia (R)
Kidman and husband Keith Urban attend Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund’s annual Charity Day
In addition to her work as a producer and actress, Kidman has served as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for nearly two decades and was awarded Australia’s highest honor, the Companion of the Order of Australia, in 2006. Along with her husband, Keith Urban, she has helped raise millions over the years for the Stanford Women’s Cancer Program, a world-renowned center for research into the causes, treatment, prevention and eventual cure of women’s cancer.
Kidman’s most recent projects include EXPATS (2024), SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS (2023) and AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM (2023), and her upcoming projects include Mimi Cave’s HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, Richard LaGravenese’s A FAMILY AFFAIR, Halina Reijn’s BABYGIRL and season two of NINE PERFECT STRANGERS.
FILMOGRAPHY
Courtesy of Nicole Kidman
#
FILM
1983
BUSH CHRISTMAS
“Helen Thompson”
1983
BMX BANDITS
“Judy”
1985
WILLS & BURKE
“Julia Matthews”
1986
WINDRIDER
“Jade”
1987
THE BIT PART
“Mary McAllister”
1988
EMERALD CITY
“Helen Davey”
1989
DEAD CALM
”Rae Ingram”
1990
DAYS OF THUNDER
“Dr. Claire Lewicki”
1991
FLIRTING
“Nicola Radcliffe”
1991
BILLY BATHGATE
“Drew Preston”
1992
FAR AND AWAY
“Shannon Christie”
1993
MALICE
“Tracy Safian”
1993
MY LIFE
“Gail Jones”
1995
TO DIE FOR
“Suzanne Stone”
1995
BATMAN FOREVER
“Dr. Chase Meridian”
1996
THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
“Isabel Archer”
1996
THE LEADING MAN
“Academy Awards Presenter”
1997
THE PEACEMAKER
“Dr. Julia Kelly”
1998
PRACTICAL MAGIC
“Gillian Owens”
1999
EYES WIDE SHUT
“Alice Harford”
2001
MOULIN ROUGE!
“Satine”
2001
THE OTHERS
“Grace Stewart”
2001
BIRTHDAY GIRL
“Sophia, alias Nadia”
2002
THE HOURS
“Virginia Woolf”
2003
DOGVILLE
“Grace Margaret Mulligan”
2003
IN THE CUT
Producer
2003
THE HUMAN STAIN
“Faunia Farley”
2003
COLD MOUNTAIN
“Ada Monroe”
2004
THE STEPFORD WIVES
“Joanna Eberhart”
2004
BIRTH
“Anna”
THE BIT PART (1987)
2004
NO. 5 THE FILM
”Herself”
2005
THE INTERPRETER
“Silvia Broome”
2005
BEWITCHED
“Isabel Bigelow/Samantha”
2006
FUR: AN IMAGINARY PORTRAIT OF DIANE ARBUS
“Diane Arbus”
2006
HAPPY FEET
“Norma Jean” (voice)
2007
THE INVASION
“Carol Bennell”
2007
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
”Margot”
2007
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
“Mrs. Coulter”
2007
I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN YOU: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SIMON WIESENTHAL
“Narrator”
2008
AUSTRALIA
“Lady Sarah Ashley”
2009
NINE
“Claudia”
2010
RABBIT HOLE
Producer
“Becca”
2011
JUST GO WITH IT
“Devlin Adams”
2011
TRESPASS
“Sarah Miller”
2011
MONTE CARLO
Producer
2012
THE PAPERBOY
“Charlotte Bless”
2013
STOKER
“Evelyn Stoker”
2013
THE RAILWAY MAN
“Patti Lomax”
2014
GRACE OF MONACO
“Grace”
2014
BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP
“Christine Lucas”
2014
PADDINGTON
“Millicent Clyde”
2015
STRANGERLAND
“Catherine Parker”
WINDRIDER (1986)
2015
QUEEN OF THE DESERT
“Gertrude Bell”
2015
THE FAMILY FANG
Producer
“Annie Fang”
2015
SECRET IN THEIR EYES
“Claire Sloane”
2015
THE GUARDIAN BROTHERS
“Luli” (English version, voice)
2016
GENIUS
“Aline Bernstein”
WINDRIDER (1986)
2016
LION
“Sue Brierley”
2017
HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES
“Boadicea”
2017
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER
“Anna Murphy”
2017
THE BEGUILED
“Miss Martha”
2017
THE UPSIDE
“Yvonne Pendleton“
2017
GREAT PERFORMERS: HORROR SHOW
“The Possessed”
2018
DESTROYER
“Erin Bell”
2018
BOY ERASED
“Nancy Eamons”
2018
AQUAMAN
“Atlanna”
2019
THE GOLDFINCH
“Mrs. Barbour”
2019
BOMBSHELL
“Gretchen Carlson”
2020
THE PROM
“Angie Dickinson”
2021
BEING THE RICARDOS
“Lucille Ball”
2022
THE NORTHMAN
“Queen Gudrún”
2023
AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM
“Atlanna”
2024
SPELLBOUND
“Ellsmere” (voice)
2024
HOLLAND, MICHIGAN
Producer
“Nancy Vandergroot”
BIG LITTLE LIES (2017-2019)
TELEVISION
1983
CHASE THROUGH THE NIGHT
”Petra”
1983
SKIN DEEP
”Sheena Henderson”
1984
A COUNTRY PRACTICE
”Simone Jenkins”
1984
MATTHEW AND SON
”Bridget Elliot”
1985
FIVE MILE CREEK
”Annie”
1985
ARCHER
”Catherine”
1986
WINNERS
“Carol Trig”
1987
UN’AUSTRALIANA A ROMA
“Jill”
1987
VIETNAM
“Megan Goddard”
1988
NIGHTMASTER
”Amy Gabriel”
1989
BANGKOK HILTON
“Katrina Stanton”
1993
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
“Host“
2011
SESAME STREET
“Herself”
2012
HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN
“Martha Gellhorn”
2014
HELLO LADIES: THE MOVIE
“Herself”
2017
TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL
“Julia”
BIG LITTLE LIES (2017-2019)
2017-2019
BIG LITTLE LIES
Executive Producer
“Celeste Wright”
2020
THE UNDOING
Executive Producer
“Grace Fraser”
2021
NINE PERFECT STRANGERS
Executive Producer
“Masha Dmitrichenko”
2022
ROAR
Executive Producer
“Robin”
2023
LOVE & DEATH
Executive Producer
2023
SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS
Executive Producer
“Kaitlyn Meade”
2023
FARAWAY DOWNS
“Lady Sarah Ashley”
2024
EXPATS
Executive Producer
“Margaret”
2024
THE PERFECT COUPLE
Executive Producer
“Greer Garrison Winbury”
“Say Something” (2022)
THEATER
1984
SPRING AWAKENING
“Wendla”
1988
STEEL MAGNOLIAS
“Shelby”
1998
THE BLUE ROOM
Various characters
2015
PHOTOGRAPH 51
“Rosalind Franklin”
Andrews in “The Boy Friend”
MUSIC
VIDEOS
RECORDINGS
2001
“Moulin Rouge!”
Soundtrack
2001
"Somethin' Stupid" with Robbie Williams
Single
2002
“Moulin Rouge! Vol. 2”
Soundtrack
2006
"Kiss/Heartbreak Hotel" with Hugh Jackman
HAPPY FEET Soundtrack
2009
“Unusual Way"
NINE Soundtrack
2012
“To the Lighthouse”
Audiobook
Narrator
2020
"Dream a Little Dream"
THE UNDOING Soundtrack
2020
“The Prom: Music from the Netflix Film”
Soundtrack
2022
"Say Something"
with Luke Evans
“A Song For You”
1983
BOP GIRL (Pat Wilson)
2001
SOMETHIN’ STUPID (Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman)
2011
ELMO’S GOT THE MOVES (Sesame Street)
“As long as I’m living my life, I’m going to keep giving to this world in the way
I can artistically.”
– Nicole Kidman
Cinematographer Matthew Libatique, ASC, LPS (AFI Class of 1992) is a three-time Academy Award® nominee. His latest work can be seen in the critically acclaimed and Oscar®-nominated film, MAESTRO (2023), directed, produced, co-written by and starring Bradley Cooper, and in A24’s Academy Award®-winning film THE WHALE (2022), where he reteamed with director Darren Aronofsky (AFI Class of 1992), his longtime collaborator who he met on their third day while attending the AFI Conservatory.
Aronofsky and Libatique previously collaborated on projects including PI (1998); REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000), which earned Libatique a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography; THE FOUNTAIN (2006); BLACK SWAN (2010), for which he received his first Academy Award® nomination; NOAH (2014); and MOTHER! (2017).
In 2021, Libatique shot DON’T WORRY DARLING, Olivia Wilde’s story of a 1950s housewife living in a utopian experimental community. This project marked his second time working with Wilde, having lensed the short WAKE UP, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Previously, Libatique worked on THE PROM (2020) starring AFI Life Achievement Award honoree Nicole Kidman.
Libatique received an Academy Award® and an American Society of Cinematographers nomination for his lensing of Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut A STAR IS BORN (2018), starring Lady Gaga.
To add to his impressive list of credits, he has collaborated with Academy Award® winner Spike Lee on numerous films, including INSIDE MAN (2006), MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA (2008), CHI-RAQ (2015) and SHE HATE ME (2004). He also shot the anti-hero action blockbuster VENOM (2018), the Oscar®-nominated STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (2015), COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011), EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (2005) and TIGERLAND (2000), as well as Academy Award®-nominated superhero films IRON MAN (2008) and IRON MAN 2 (2010), kicking off a defining style for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Libatique has also worked prolifically in music videos, collaborating on projects with directors Aronofsky, David Fincher, Harmony Korine, Phil Harder, Chris Milk, Paul Hunter, Floria Sigismondi and Julie Dash (AFI Class of 1974), and shooting music videos for artists such as Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Usher, The Cranberries, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Metallica and Tracy Chapman.
ALUMNI MEDAL HISTORY
The Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal is awarded annually to an Alum of the AFI Conservatory or the
AFI DWW+ who best embodies the qualities of the late director: talent, taste, dedication and commitment to quality filmmaking. Established by Schaffner’s widow, Jean, in 1991, the Alumni Medal celebrates the recipient’s extraordinary creative talents and artistic achievements.
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
David Lynch
Edward Zwick Randa Haines Martin Brest
Jon Avnet
Carl Franklin
John McTiernan
Amy Heckerling Mimi Leder
Terrence Malick Darren Aronofsky Todd Field
John Dahl
Patty Jenkins
Paul Schrader Marshall Herskovitz
2007
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2022
2024
Gary Winick
Mark Waters
Steve Golin
Janusz Kamiński Steven Rosenblum Wally Pfister
Stuart Cornfeld
Anne Garefino Caleb Deschanel Lesli Linka Glatter Frederick Elmes Rachel Morrison Melina Matsoukas Siân Heder
Matthew Libatique
THANK YOU
Thank you to the following donors for their support of the
49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute.
RED CARPET SPONSOR
PLATINUM
Amazon Studios
AT&T
Robert A. Daly and Carole Bayer Sager
Arlene Inch
Los Angeles Times
NBCUniversal Networks International & DTC Latin America
Netflix
Omega
Paramount Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Todd Wagner Foundation
The Walt Disney Company
GOLD
101 Studios/Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios
Apple, Inc.
Comcast NBCUniversal
The Hollywood Reporter
Cecilia DeMille Presley, Joe Harper and the Cecil B. DeMille Foundation
Variety
The Wall Street Journal
SILVER
Creative Artists Agency
Decurion Corporation
Richard and Leslie Miller Frank
Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP
Hulu/Fifth Season
Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg
NMK Inc./ Blossom Films
Northern Trust
OFFICIAL HOTEL
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
2017 Foc Kan
Executive Producer
Bob Gazzale
Producers
Chris Merrill
Christine Calandra-Farrell
Director/Co-Producer
Louis J. Horvitz
Writers
Jon Macks
Bob Gazzale
Line Producer
Bill Urban
Supervising Producer
Cort Casady
Production Designer
Bruce Ryan
Lighting Designer
Matt Firestone
Talent Executive
Christine Calandra-Farrell
Segment Director
Chris Merrill
Editor
Linda Arellano
Associate Producers
Ellen O’Brien
Josh Kushins
Associate Director
Kelly Hernacki
Post Production Supervisor
Philip D’Amour
Stage Manager
John Esposito
Production Supervisor
Sophia Bonhomme
Script Supervisor
Kevin Sanchez
Staging Supervisor
Robert Beringhele
Script Coordinator
Jennie Cote
SPECIAL EVENTS
Cindi Kim
Ethan Caldwell
TRIBUTE SITE
Designers
Crystal Johnson
Tara Nitz
Editors
Steve Pepdjonovic
Stacy Adamski
Laura Swanbeck
Photo Clearance
Maggie Fogel
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Michelle Margolis
Katie Greenthal
Blue Room Events
The Dolby Theatre
Wolfgang Puck Catering
Sunset Tower
TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR COOPERATION IN PROVIDING FOOTAGE, STILL PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER MATERIALS FROM
NICOLE KIDMAN’S FILMS AND CAREER
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Margaret Herrick Library
Amazon
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
American Federation of Musicians
Annapurna
California Pictures
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Family of Nicole Kidman
HBO
Hulu
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios Inc.
Netflix
Network Ten
Paramount
SAG-AFTRA
Rocky Schenck @ rockyschenck.com
See-Saw Films
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Studiocanal
Twentieth Century Fox
Universal Studios Licensing
Vogue Australia
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Designed with
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: AFI Life Achievement Award Presentation to Nicole Kidman. Copyright © 2024. American Film Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. None of the photographs or other material included in this program book may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the American Film Institute.