Emily Blunt, the Oscar‑nominated actress whose recent performance in Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day has revived awards attention, will receive the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 19th annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film, organizers announced Tuesday. The honor will be presented at a black‑tie gala dinner at the Ritz‑Carlton Bacara on Thursday, Dec. 10, an event that also serves as a fundraiser for SBIFF’s year‑round educational programs.
Blunt’s résumé includes major hits such as The Devil Wears Prada—the film that propelled her to stardom two decades ago—as well as Sicario, A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II, Into the Woods, Mary Poppins Returns, Looper, Oppenheimer (earning her an Oscar nomination), and The Smashing Machine (nominated for a Golden Globe). This year she starred in The Devil Wears Prada 2, reprising her iconic role, and in Disclosure Day, where she portrays a Kansas City TV meteorologist whose inexplicable encounters lead her to help expose extraterrestrial life to the world.
Michael Douglas, the two‑time Oscar winner and son of the award’s legendary namesake, said in a statement: “Emily Blunt takes risks most actors wouldn’t dare, moving between drama, comedy, and blockbuster spectacle with the same precision and commitment. That range and authenticity are exactly what the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film was created to celebrate. We’re proud to honor her.”
Previous recipients of the Kirk Douglas Award include Michael Douglas, Cynthia Erivo, Will Ferrell, Ryan Gosling, Michelle Yeoh, Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman, Dame Judi Dench, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange, Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Ed Harris, and John Travolta.
The 42nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival will be held February 3–13, 2027.