Angelina Jolie to receive the Performer Tribute at the Gotham Awards for ‘Maria’

Angelina Jolie may have missed out on a competitive Gotham Award nomination this year for her acclaimed performance in “Maria,” but the Oscar-winning actress will still participate in the upcoming ceremony.

On Thursday, the Gotham Film & Media Institute announced Jolie will receive the Performer Tribute for her performance as Maria Callas in Pablo Larrain’s upcoming film “Maria.” The actress will receive the honor at the 34th edition of The Gothams, taking place on Monday, December 2 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. According to a press release, “The tribute will honor Jolie’s rendition of the legendary opera singer Maria Callas.”

“Like the legendary figure she portrays, Angelina Jolie transcends mere performance to craft something extraordinary. Her interpretation captures both Maria Callas’s complexity as an artist and the cultural resonance that defines an icon,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham. “We are thrilled to celebrate what is truly one of Ms. Jolie’s career-defining performances in the final installment of Pablo Larrain’s magnificent trilogy.”

This year’s Gotham Award nominees were selected by a small jury of film critics and journalists. The performance category were chosen by the nominating committee of Monica Castillo (Freelance Film Critic, RogerEbert.com; Senior Film Programmer, Jacob Burns Film Center), Robert Daniels (Associate Editor, RogerEbert.com), Tim Grierson (Senior U.S. Critic, Screen International; author, “This Is How You Make a Movie”), Tomris Laffly (Freelance Film Journalist and Film Critic), and Brian Tallerico (Managing Editor, RogerEbert.com). Castillo and Laffly are also members of the New York Film Critics Circle; Grierson is part of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

“Maria,” coming to Netflix in December, “follows Maria Callas, one of the most iconic performers of the 20th century as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. The film reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days as the diva reckons with her identity and life.”

Larrain directed the film from a script by Steven Knight. Notable artisans who worked on “Maria” included cinematographer Ed Lachman and costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini. “Maria” co-stars Alba Rohrwacher (“Happy As Lazzaro”), Pierfrancesco Favino (“Padrenostro,” “Adagio”), Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”), and Valeria Golino (“For Your Love”).

“Maria” premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival and played at the Telluride Film Festival, London Film Festival, and New York Film Festival – along with other regional festivals. Jolie is one of the top contenders for Best Actress this year, with many predicting her to score her third-ever Oscar nomination. She won previously in the Best Supporting Actress category for “Girl, Interrupted.”

A small theatrical premiere of “Maria” will happen on November 27. It hits Netflix on December 11.

This year’s Gotham Awards will celebrate the best of independent film, with “Anora,” “Nickel Boys,” and “I Saw the TV Glow” among the top nominees. Tribute honors will go to “Dune: Part Two” director Denis Villeneuve, the ensemble cast of “The Piano Lesson,” and the cast of “Sing Sing.” Expect more tributes to be announced before the event on December 2.