Variety will honor global superstar Jennifer Lopez with the Legend & Groundbreaker Award at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival. The prestigious accolade will be presented during the highly anticipated 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch on Jan. 4, paying homage to Lopez’s remarkable journey as a multifaceted force in entertainment.
The multi-hyphenate will be recognized for her accomplished career in entertainment – spanning film, television, music, and more – including her powerful turn in the upcoming film “Unstoppable.”
“Unstoppable,” from Amazon MGM Studios, premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and follows the inspiring true story of Anthony Robles – the unbreakable Arizona State wrestler who was born with one leg. Jennifer plays Anothony’s mother, Judy Robles, who taught him how to fight for himself—how to take what the world might see as a setback and turn it into the very thing that propels you forward. The film is set to release in select theaters on Dec. 6, and will be on Prime Video on Jan. 16.
Lopez has dazzled audiences in an impressive 35 films, showing her undeniable versatility in roles spanning genres including “Hustlers”, “Selena,” “Maid in Manhattan,” “Enough,” “The Wedding Planner,” “Out of Sight” and her soon to be released film “Unstoppable.” Her success on the silver screen has a cumulative worldwide box office gross of over $3 billion.
Lopez’s impressive career doesn’t stop at the silver screen – she has also made her mark in television, appearing on five seasons of “American Idol” and three seasons of “Shades Of Blue.” Behind the scenes she has acted as the executive producer for four seasons of “World Of Dance,” five seasons of “Good Trouble,” and five seasons of “The Fosters.”
Lopez is an international music sensation, having topped music charts for over two decades, earning her a dedicated fanbase crossing generations and spanning the globe. She’s the only female artist to ever have a No. 1 album and No. 1 film simultaneously and has sold over 80 million records, with 15 billion global streams and more than 18 billion views of her music videos.
Golden Globe, SAG Award, and Grammy-nominated Lopez is the recipient of many prestigious industry awards including the 2500th star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, the first female recipient of the Billboard Icon Award and the Telemundo Star Award. She co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV halftime show, which garnered more viewers than the game itself.
“Jennifer Lopez is more than a multi-threat talent, first breaking through decades ago as a dancer, then establishing herself as one of the music world’s top artists and one of the film world’s most popular and acclaimed actors,” said Variety’s Executive Vice President of Content Steve Gaydos. “This year, she again reminds film fans of her acting prowess and range in the powerful, inspiring awards contender, ‘Unstoppable.’”
The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs Jan. 2 to 13. Passes and tickets are currently on sale. For additional information visit psfilmfest.org.
