Nicole Kidman dedicates award to late mother at Palm Springs festival

Nicole Kidman is honoring her late mother, Janelle Ann Kidman.

The Babygirl star paid tribute to her mom, who died in September, in an emotional speech as she accepted the International Star Award from Jamie Lee Curtis at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Friday night. “Thank you for giving me the chance to say: This is for my mom,” Kidman said.

Kidman added that her parents inspired her entire body of work. “My whole career has been for my mom and my dad, and they’re not here now, but I still want to keep working and giving to the world because I love what I do, and I love you all, and I’m so grateful for the privilege to be a part of this film community,” she said. “I’m sorry I’m crying. I didn’t want to do that, but I feel my mama right now, so this is for you, Mama.”

The Moulin Rouge actress explained that she didn’t have the opportunity to deliver similar remarks during a speech at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, where Babygirl premiered and she won the award for Best Actress, because she had to leave the event due to her mother’s death. “I’m still grieving my mom, and so I want to dedicate [this award to her], because I didn’t get to do it at the Venice Film Festival,” she said. “I didn’t get to do that because I arrived in Venice and she was gone and I got the call. And so I said to [Babygirl director] Halina [Reijn], ‘Can you go on stage for me and accept the award for me?’ And she did.”

In words Reijn read on the Venice stage in September, Kidman said, “Today I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after that my beautiful, brave mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, has just passed. I’m in shock and I have to go to my family, but this award is for her. She shaped me, she guided me, and she made me.”

Kidman continued, “I am beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina. The collision of life and art is heartbreaking, and my heart is broken.”

Kidman also received attention in Palm Springs for her viral red carpet interaction with Wicked star Ariana Grande, who clasped her hands before kneeling before Kidman and kissing her on the hand.

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The actress recently addressed her mother’s death in an interview with W. “The more love and the more intimacy and closeness you have with a person, the more it’s going to hurt losing them. But I’ll take the pain,” Kidman said, listing a few of her mom’s favorites in her filmography. “She loved Rabbit Hole. She loved The Paperboy. She never saw Babygirl. She loved The Hours. She was tough, though, in her criticism. So I’m used to that, which is quite good.”