The 21st AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Highlights and Winners List

At the 21st AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups Awards, every table was the adults table. Awards Radar had a seat to watch the whole ceremony, from host Alan Cumming’s musical interjections to a touching Career Achievement tribute for Jamie Lee Curtis. The greatest embodiment of the mood for the evening was one woman who organized a film group for her fellow grownups. Through AARP’s Wish of a Lifetime program, she was invited to fulfill her dream of attending an award show (and received a standing ovation from Curtis along with a shoutout from Baz Luhrmann). The Movies for Grownups Awards were less of a competition and more of a celebration for the 50+ demographic AARP advocates for.

The evening broke the societal rule to never discuss how old you are. The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards understand that with age comes experience and a new kind of joy. Best Supporting Actress winner Judith Ivey spoke about her 95 year old father and 101 year old mother. During his speech for Top Gun: Maverick’s Best Picture win Jerry Bruckheimer gave a shout out to his mother who lived to 104.

The show was filled with touching speeches for all the night’s winners. In his introduction for Best Director winner Baz Luhrmann for Elvis, Austin Butler said “No matter what the subject is, his intent is to create art for audiences of all ages to enjoy together. “The stories are specific, and his messages are universal.”

(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AARP)

Jamie Lee Curtis’s Career Achievement Award was given to her by Brian Tyree Henry, who spoke about Curtis’s kindness and compassion. “At the end of the day, what I love most about grownups is that we are more alike than different – grown ups suit up and show up each day, regardless of the way our cards were dealt,” said Curtis. “It’s the beauty of grownups and I’m honored to be considered one because it’s a badge of honor that I wear proudly on my face, on my body, in my mind and in my soul and I’m grateful for AARP tonight for this beautiful recognition.”

The night included aforementioned host Alan Cumming’s musical parody of the beloved song, “My Favorite Things” altered to include his favorite “binge-worthy things,” Lisa Anne Walter who presented the award for Best TV Actress to Sheryl Lee Ralph for Abbott Elementary, who thanked “AARP for shining a light on aging,” and Hong Chau who presented the award for Best Actor to Brendan Fraser for his role in The Whale. The evening closed out with Glen Powell who presented the award for Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups to Jerry Bruckheimer for Top Gun: Maverick.

In a press release The AARP explained “For more than two decades, AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has championed movies for grownups, by grownups, by advocating for the 50-plus audience, fighting industry ageism, and encouraging films and TV shows that resonate with older viewers.”

“We are delighted to celebrate and honor these talented filmmakers, that made the 50-plus audience excited to stream the best that TV has to offer, or go back to the theatres and enjoy movies once again,” said Heather Nawrocki, VP of AARP’s Movies for Grownups program. “The older audience loves to be entertained, and this year’s awardees do not disappoint!”

AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups Awards, will be broadcast nationwide by Great Performances on Friday, February 17, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/moviesforgrownups and the PBS app.

The complete list of the Annual Movies for GrownupsAwards Winners: