Cynthia Erivo to Be Honored at 2025 Sundance Film Festival Gala

The nonprofit Sundance Institute has announced that Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award–winner and two-time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo, currently starring as Elphaba in Universal Pictures’ Wicked, will be honored with the Visionary Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s gala fundraiser, Celebrating Sundance Institute Presented by Google TV. Additionally, writer-director-producer James Mangold (Searchlight Pictures’ A Complete Unknown) will be honored with the Trailblazer Award.

This year's gala, which will take place on January 24, 2025, at the new Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah, will be co-chaired by Board Chair Ebs Burnough and long time Board Trustee Pat Mitchell. The annual gala enables the nonprofit to raise funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists from all over the world. 

Cynthia Erivo, a revered actress, singer, producer and author, will be honored with the Visionary Award for her uncompromising work and notable contributions to the entertainment industry. Currently receiving global acclaim for her performance as Elphaba in the film adaptation of Wicked, based on the generation-defining Broadway sensation, Erivo has made an indelible mark on both stage and screen. From her breakout portrayal of Celie Harris in Broadway’s The Color Purple, for which she won a Grammy, Tony, and Daytime Emmy Award, to her commanding performance in Kasi Lemmons’ Harriet, for which she was nominated for two Academy Awards — Best Actress and Best Original Song — Erivo consistently elevates every role with her profound skill, depth, and artistry. During the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Erivo served as a jury member and returned to the Festival in 2023, as both an actor and producer, for her mesmerizing performance in Drift. Now, as the star of the highest-grossing Broadway musical film adaptation in history, Erivo’s success serves as a testament to her ever-growing impact on film. 

“Receiving the Visionary Award is an honor that fills me with immense gratitude,” Erivo says. “Sundance has always been a sanctuary for bold voices and transformative narratives, and to be a part of and recognized by this incredible community is deeply meaningful. Storytelling is the foundation of my work, and it’s a privilege to celebrate this art form alongside so many extraordinary creators. This recognition inspires me to continue championing bold, diverse stories that connect, challenge, and uplift us all.”

James Mangold will be honored with the Trailblazer Award in recognition of his unwavering dedication and notable contributions to the field of cinema. As a writer, director, and producer he continues the tradition of filmmakers who can project their own vision and style onto a range of genres, uniting his films with constant humanist themes, intimate performances, and striking staging and imagery. Mangold’s relationship with Sundance began in 1994, when he first participated in the Institute’s year-round artist programs, designed to support emerging filmmakers. It was then that he developed the screenplay for his 1997 film Cop Land at the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs. His directorial debut, Heavy, received the Special Jury Prize for Directing at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Over the years, Mangold has played a role in shaping the landscape of film, leaving an indelible impact on both the industry and popular culture. From Girl, Interrupted and Walk the Line to 3:10 to Yuma, Ford v. Ferrari and A Complete Unknown, this award celebrates Mangold's lasting legacy of powerful storytelling.

“Sundance has been many things in my life; a faraway dream on a mountain, a laboratory at which I developed the script for Cop Land, a Festival at which I debuted Heavy, my first feature, and later, a place I have proudly mentored talented young filmmakers. I am floored and flattered that Sundance thought my body of work was worthy of this honor,” said James Mangold.

“James Mangold and Cynthia Erivo embody the very essence of creativity and impact within the arts,” said Amanda Kelso, Acting CEO of Sundance Institute. “James’ career reflects the heart of filmmaking: bold and authentic storytelling. His connection to The Sundance Institute, from his early days as a participant in our artist programs to his groundbreaking work as a director, has left a lasting impact on the film community. Cynthia’s journey, marked by electrifying performances in every project she touches, has made her a dynamic artist who inspires and empowers audiences and creators alike. We are thrilled to honor James with the Trailblazer Award and Cynthia with the Visionary Award, celebrating their extraordinary achievements and the powerful stories they continue to bring to life.”

The 2025 event is made possible with the generous support of Google TV. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with a selection of titles available online from January 30–February 2, 2025 for audiences across the country to discover bold independent storytelling

Sundance Institute

As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from Sundance advisors and connect with each other in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling.

Through The Sundance Institute artist programs, we have supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Big Sick, Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys State, Call Me by Your Name, Clemency, CODA, Drunktown’s Finest, The Farewell, Fire of Love, Flee, The Forty-Year-Old Version, Fruitvale Station, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, Honeyland, The Infiltrators, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Little Woods, Love & Basketball, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mudbound, Nanny, One Child Nation, Pariah, Raising Victor Vargas, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, RBG, Sin Nombre, Sorry to Bother You, Strong Island, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Swiss Army Man, A Thousand and One, Top of the Lake, Walking and Talking, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and Zola.

Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of such artists as Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, The Daniels, David Gordon Green, Miranda July, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Boots Riley, Ira Sachs, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao. Support Sundance Institute in our commitment to uplifting bold artists and powerful storytelling globally by making a donation at sundance.org/donate. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.