New York, NY (February 9, 2023) – Film at Lincoln Center announced today that Viola Davis is the recipient of the 48th Chaplin Award. The award will be presented at a gala evening in Davis’s honor on April 24 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York City. The evening encompasses a joyful celebration of the actor and producer’s incredible body of work featuring notable speakers and film clips, culminating in the presentation of the Chaplin Award.

All proceeds from the Chaplin Award Gala directly support Film at Lincoln Center’s year-round cinematheque programs, contemporary film series, student programs, and film festivals such as the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films.

“Viola Davis brings her tremendous skill and fierce emotional intelligence to everything she does,” said Lesli Klainberg, president of Film at Lincoln Center. “The range of her accomplishments is remarkable—as an actor in film, television, and theater; as a producer opening doors for new voices; and as an inspirational memoirist. She is truly a force. We are honored to dedicate an evening to celebrating her achievements and talents at the 48th Chaplin Award Gala.”

“We could not be more thrilled and honored to féte Viola Davis,” said Dan Stern, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Film at Lincoln Center. “Viola is one of the truly great actors of our time, she draws on her power and versatility to bring an incredible depth of character to every role she inhabits. We look forward to presenting her with the 48th Chaplin Award at Lincoln Center."

Viola Davis is a critically revered, award-winning actress, producer, New York Times best-selling author and one of 18 entertainers to achieve exclusive EGOT status. She most recently won a Grammy for her audiobook, Finding Me, an Academy Award® (Fences), and an Emmy (How to Get Away with Murder), and she is the first Black actress to win two Tony Awards (Fences and King Hedley II). In 2021, Davis received an Oscar nomination for her transformative performance as Ma Rainey in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. She also won a SAG award for the role and received a Golden Globe Award nomination and Critic’s Choice Award nomination. This year, Davis received the Chairman’s Award at the Palm Springs Film Awards recognizing her work as an actor and producer for The Woman King. In 2020, the New York Times ranked her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

Davis’s next film appearance will be AIR, an upcoming American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery, to be released by Amazon Studios on April 5. Additional credits include How to Get Away with Murder, Widows, Suicide Squad, Ender’s Game, Prisoners, Beautiful Creatures, The Help, Doubt, Get On Up, Blackhat, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Knight and Day, Nights in Rodanthe, Madea Goes to Jail, Law Abiding Citizen, Disturbia, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Never Back Down, Far From Heaven, and many more. Davis and her husband Julius Tennon founded JuVee Productions, with its focus being to give a voice to the voiceless through strong, impactful, and culturally relevant narratives. The Los Angeles-based and artist-driven company produces film, television, and digital content across all forms of entertainment.

Film at Lincoln Center gives special thanks to the 48th Chaplin Award Gala Co-Chairs: Imelda and Peter Sobiloff and Nanna and Daniel Stern.

Gala tickets are on sale now. Tribute-only tickets range in price from $250 – $750 and may be purchased here, with $200 tickets available for FLC Members. You can secure premium seating at the Chaplin Award Gala Tribute by purchasing Gala Dinner and Tribute tickets, available here or by contacting us at galarsvp@filmlinc.org. All proceeds from the Chaplin Award Gala benefit Film at Lincoln Center’s programs and activities as a nonprofit organization.