Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez triumphed at France’s 30th Lumiere Awards, sweeping the ceremony with five major wins. The crime musical, set in Mexico and filmed in Spanish, took home the top prizes, including Best Film, Best Director for Audiard, Best Script, Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón, and Best Music for Camille and Clément Ducol.
The film, which follows a notorious cartel leader faking her own death to live authentically as a trans woman, also stars Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña. Since its success at Cannes, where it won the Jury Prize and a female ensemble award, Emilia Pérez has gathered numerous accolades internationally and is a frontrunner in the U.S. awards season. At the Golden Globes, the film claimed Best Musical or Comedy and led with four wins.
Audiard’s success at the Lumiere Awards is historic. This marks his third Best Film win, having previously won in 2006 for The Beat That My Heart Skipped and in 2019 for The Sisters Brothers. It’s also his fourth Best Director award, adding to his previous wins for A Prophet (2010), Rust and Bone (2013), and The Sisters Brothers (2019).
Other notable wins at the ceremony included Souleymane’s Story, which earned Abou Sangare the Best Actor award for his portrayal of a Guinean immigrant in Paris. Holy Cow won two awards, including Best Feature Debut and Best Male Newcomer for Clément Faveau, while The Kingdom picked up Best Female Newcomer for Ghjuvanna Benedetti.
The Lumiere Awards, a prestigious event marking the start of France’s awards season, concluded with a showcase of both established and emerging talent, ahead of the upcoming César Awards on February 28.
