Nicole Kidman, the queen of looking stunning and making us cry, was officially crowned the International Star of the Universe (or something close to that) at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Awards on Friday. The ceremony, held in scenic Palm Springs, California, was less about the dry desert heat and more about Nicole turning the stage into her own personal therapy session.
The 57-year-old Babygirl star (yes, that’s the movie title; no, we don’t have follow-up questions) accepted the award from none other than scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. But what started as a celebration quickly spiraled into a sob-fest when Nicole began reminiscing about her late parents. Cue the tears, cue the tissues.
“I went home over Christmas. I’ve lost both my parents, and I’m in that place, like, okay, this is different now,” Nicole shared, via The Daily Mail. And by “different,” she presumably meant “gut-wrenchingly sad but also inspiring in an Oscar-worthy way.”
Nicole went on to credit her parents for instilling in her the resilience, love, and grit to keep going. Basically, she turned her acceptance speech into a shout-out to Mom and Dad, proving once again that even at a Hollywood awards ceremony, parents always get top billing.
Her mom, Janelle, sadly passed away this past September, right as Nicole was gearing up to slay the red carpet at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. Talk about a plot twist that even the Babygirl scriptwriters wouldn’t have seen coming. Meanwhile, her father, Anthony, passed away in 2014, further solidifying the fact that Nicole has been carrying all her emotions—and her many awards—on her perfectly toned shoulders.
“I arrived in Venice, and she was gone,” Nicole recounted. (Honestly, if anyone else said that, it would sound like a Bond movie line, but Nicole makes it heartbreakingly poetic.) She explained how she had to call up Babygirl director Halina Reijn and say, “Can you go on stage for me?” Which, for the record, is probably the most Nicole Kidman way to handle a crisis.
Fast-forward to Friday, and Nicole was finally back on stage, but this time, it was for her mom. “This is for you, Mama,” she declared, clearly channeling every emotionally stirring award speech ever. Nicole added that her career has always been for her parents and that she plans to keep giving to the world. (Translation: she’ll continue making movies that make us sob, laugh, and rewatch them at 2 a.m. on a streaming service.)
“I’m sorry I’m crying,” Nicole concluded, as if anyone was judging her for it. (Girl, if you’re not crying at the Palm Springs International Film Awards, are you even doing it right?) “I feel my mama right now. This is for you, Mama.”
And just like that, Nicole reminded us all why she’s an acting icon—and also why no one should ever wear non-waterproof mascara at these events.