Tony®, GRAMMY®, Emmy Award-winning and three-time Academy Award nominated actor, singer and producer Cynthia Erivo will be receiving the 18th annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film, it was announced by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The prestigious award, which benefits the film festival’s year-round educational programs, will be presented on Thursday, December 4, 2025 at a Black-Tie dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara. This will mark the fourth time the honor has been awarded since the passing of screen legend Kirk Douglas.
“Cynthia Erivo is a singular talent whose depth, range, and fearless commitment to her craft embody the spirit of excellence my father championed throughout his life. It’s entirely fitting that she receives the Kirk Douglas Award, which celebrates bold artistry and enduring impact in film,” states Michael Douglas.
Erivo burst onto West End and Broadway stages in “The Color Purple,” for which she won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical and has since taken the world by storm. She most recently starred as Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Universal Pictures’ record-shattering film adaptation of the generation-defining musical WICKED from director Jon M. Chu, which earned 10 Academy Award nominations. The film became a cultural phenomenon, opening at number one at the box office and becoming the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time. Erivo garnered widespread critical acclaim for her performance, receiving Golden Globe, SAG, Critics’ Choice, NAACP, BAFTA, and Academy Award nominations. She will return as Elphaba this Fall in the emotional cinematic conclusion, WICKED: FOR GOOD, which will be released on November 21.
Next, Erivo is set to start production on the film adaptation of PRIMA FACIE, the Broadway sensation that originated on the West End. Under her Edith’s Daughter production banner, she will also executive produce the film. It was also recently announced that Erivo will return to the West End starring as Bram Stoker’s demonic vampire and 22 other roles in Kip William’s “Dracula,” a one-woman theatrical extravaganza set for early 2026.
Since 2006, the annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film has been awarded to a lifelong contributor to cinema through their work in front of the camera, behind, or both. Past honorees include Will Ferrell, Ryan Gosling, Michelle Yeoh, Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman, Dame Judi Dench, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange, Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Ed Harris, and John Travolta.
