NBCUniversal Studio Group chair and chief content officer Donna Langley will be celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival, where she will receive the Women in Motion Award from Kering‘s chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault, Cannes president Iris Knobloch and director Thierry Fremaux.
The awards ceremony will take place at a glamorous gala dinner hosted by Kering on May 19, which will bring together major talent and executives attending the festival. The tribute will celebrate Langley’s career, steadfast leadership and her role in redefining popular culture, as well as fostering a more inclusive industry by creating opportunities for women and people of color in the entertainment industry.
“Receiving the Women in Motion Award is an immense honor, and to be recognized amongst such remarkable recipients is a testament to the work Kering, the Festival de Cannes and our industry peers do to propel women forward, amplify their voices, create opportunities and push boundaries,” Langley said in a statement.
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A trailblazing advocate for the empowerment and inclusion of women, Langley is an ambassador for Vital Voices and has served on the organization’s board of directors since 2013. She is the first British female to run a major Hollywood studio and was awarded a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2020.
Langley is known for her deep relationships with filmmakers and long-term strategic vision in building original tentpole IP. During her previous role as chairman of Universal Pictures, the studio delivered blockbusters like “Jurassic World” and the “Fast and Furious” franchise. She also played a role in scoring a number of high-profile creative first-look and overall deals with Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill, Charlize Theron and Elizabeth Banks, among others.
The gala dinner is part of the pioneering Women in Motion program, which was launched in 2015 and highlights the creativity and contribution made by women in the world of culture and the arts. Previous honorees include Jane Fonda, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, Isabelle Huppert, Patty Jenkins, Gong Li, Salma Hayek, Viola Davis and Michelle Yeoh.
Pinault described Langley as “one of Hollywood’s most influential leaders, and as someone who has dedicated herself to demonstrating on and off-screen that gender equality and diversity are absolutely essential.” Honoring her with this award “highlights the collective effort of people working behind the scenes, tirelessly confronting and knocking down gender barriers and racial prejudice.”
Knobloch, who previously served as Warner Bros. head in France and many international territories, also paid tribute to “Donna Langley‘s brilliant career and commitment to a better representation of women in all their diversity make her a natural choice for this award, which holds very significant meaning for the Festival de Cannes and for Kering.”
Fremaux, meanwhile, praised Langley for her “leadership and unwavering commitment to challenging the status quo, paving the way for women in this industry and beyond.”
