Amy Adams wins major early acting award on Oscars trail ahead of “Nightbitch”
Adams will be honored at the TIFF Tribute Awards alongside filmmaker David Cronenberg, with Sandra Oh serving as an honorary chair.
Amy Adams has sunken her (canine) teeth into a major early acting award on the Oscars trail, ahead of the release of her anticipated new drama Nightbitch.
The six-time Academy Award-nominated performer was unveiled Tuesday as this year's first recipient of the Toronto International Film Festival's TIFF Tribute Performer Award, an accolade that has gone to several eventual Oscar winners and/or nominees since the honor's inception in 2019.
TIFF revealed that the actress will receive the award for her body of work, though it is tied to the release of Nightbitch — her Marielle Heller-directed adaptation of Rachel Yoder's 2021 novel about a woman convinced she's turning into a dog — that's also set to premiere at the festival's 2024 edition.
TIFF's CEO, Cameron Bailey, also announced that director David Cronenberg will receive the festival's Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award at the TIFF Tribute Awards, while actress Sandra Oh will serve as an honorary chair for the fundraising event that supports TIFF’s Every Story Fund for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Adams' recognition puts her on a growing list of potential Oscar contenders heading into the awards race, as past TIFF Tribute Awards winners have gone on to either win or be nominated for Academy Awards, including Colman Domingo (Rustin), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland director), and Joaquin Phoenix (Joker).
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As a filmmaker, Nightbitch helmer Heller has also directed several actors toward Oscar nominations across her recent films, including Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, as well as Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy for their work in Can You Ever Forgive Me?
“Returning to TIFF feels like coming home and I’m excited to serve as Honorary Chair for this year’s Tribute Awards,” said Oh in a press statement. “Raising funds and awareness for representation and great storytelling is a passion of mine and why I’m so proud that the proceeds will go directly to Every Story Fund. Their mission to empower diverse voices aligns perfectly with my own, and I’m thrilled to be a part of this.”
Other films slated to debut at TIFF's 2024 event include the documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, Tom Hiddleston's Stephen King adaptation The Life of Chuck, and DreamWorks' animated film The Wild Robot featuring the voice of Lupita Nyong'o.
The TIFF Tribute Awards ceremony will be held Sunday, Sept. 8.
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