Today, AFI announced that Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Watts and Reese Witherspoon will be among the presenters at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute in honor of Nicole Kidman, with Streep – recipient of the 32nd AFI Life Achievement Award – presenting the highest award for a career in film to Kidman.

“Nicole Kidman embodies the glamour and romance of Hollywood past – a true screen icon – but she is also a risk taker – and so each performance is something new and something profound,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. “And like all truly great artists – Nicole not only gives back – she drives culture forward with her commitment to amplifying the voices of female directors and producers.”

The Gala Tribute event will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, on April 27, 2024. The official dinner sponsor is Canva, the official water sponsor is FIJI and the official red carpet sponsor is AMC Theatres. All proceeds from the AFI Life Achievement Award support the American Film Institute as a nonprofit organization.

It was also announced that the tribute special, THE 49TH AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO NICOLE KIDMAN, will premiere on TNT on June 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on June 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. This marks the ninth year the Emmy®-winning AFI Life Achievement Award special will air on TNT.

The AFI Life Achievement Award, established by the AFI Board of Trustees in 1973, is presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria as mandated through a resolution passed by the AFI Board of Trustees: “The recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time.”

The 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala will also feature three-time Academy Award® nominee Matthew Libatique, ASC, LPS (AFI Class of 1992), this year’s recipient of the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal. The Schaffner Alumni Medal recognizes the extraordinary creative talents of AFI Conservatory Alumni who embody the qualities of filmmaker Franklin J. Schaffner: talent, taste, dedication and commitment to quality storytelling in film and television. Past recipients include Darren Aronofsky, Lesli Linka Glatter, Siân Heder, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Mimi Leder, David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Melina Matsoukas and Rachel Morrison.

Libatique’s latest work can be seen in the Academy Award^®-nominated 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.

To learn more about AFI, the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal and the AFI Life Achievement Award, please visit AFI.com.