Jennifer Saunders is set to receive the Icon Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival UK and Ireland Honours event.
The event, hosted by Nick Mohammed and Edith Bowman, has previously honoured figures including Sir Stephen Fry, Bill Nighy, Lesley Manville, Richard E Grant and Sir Patrick Stewart.
A BAFTA award winner and fellow, Saunders is widely regarded as one of the defining figures of British comedy, best known for Absolutely Fabulous as well as French and Saunders.
She will next appear in Neal Street Productions’ adaptation of The Magic Faraway Tree, playing Grandma Thompson.
The festival will also present its Artist of Distinction award, which celebrates established talent whose work has had a sustained impact on the UK and Ireland’s screen industries.
This year’s recipients are Jack O'Connell, Sam Claflin, Shirley Henderson, Sophie Turner and Timothy Spall.
O’Connell’s recent projects include 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Sinners and Back to Black, for which he received a BAFTA nomination.
Claflin has led productions ranging from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Love, Rosie to Daisy Jones & The Six, earning a Golden Globe nomination for the latter.
Henderson’s three-decade career encompasses Trainspotting, Bridget Jones and the recent BAFTA-nominated I Swear.
Turner, known globally for Game of Thrones, has since taken on roles including Joan Hannington and will star as Lara Croft in the forthcoming Tomb Raider adaptation from Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Spall, a BAFTA winner, has appeared in films including Mr Turner, the Harry Potter series and Enchanted.
Gary Sherwin, President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach, and Gregg Schwenk, CEO of the Newport Beach Film Festival, said in a joint statement: “We are thrilled to announce the latest list of honourees for this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival UK and Ireland Honours event: Jennifer Saunders is a true industry titan of the industry and national treasure in the UK, and this year’s Artists of Distinction, Jack O’Connell, Sam Claflin, Shirley Henderson, Sophie Turner and Timothy Spall have all established long running, diverse successful careers.
“This year’s honourees exemplify the exceptionally high standard of work coming out of the UK and Ireland, and we can’t wait to celebrate them at this year’s ceremony.”
They join previously announced Breakout honourees Archie Madekwe, Harry Melling, Jay Lycurgo and Noah Jupe, alongside Spotlight artists Damson Idris and Wunmi Mosaku.
Separately, Variety has unveiled its annual 10 Brits to Watch, naming Miriam Battye, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Charly Clive, Nell Fisher, Caleb Azumah-Nelson, Archie Pearch, Imran Perretta, Miriam Petche, Mark Rosenblatt and Alfie Williams.
