The 56-year-old Kidman is the first performer from Australia to receive the organization’s top honor.
Meryl Streep handed the coveted trophy to the Moulin Rouge star in Hollywood.
Reese Witherspoon, co-star of Big Little Lies, and her husband, singer Keith Urban, were among the other celebrities there.
Wearing a floor-length, glittering gold Balenciaga gown, Kidman accepted the trophy and thanked all of the filmmakers she had collaborated with.
“Making movies is an honor. And wonderful to have worked on television and movies with these storytellers who gave me the freedom to be myself, let my hair down, and play all these unique women,” the actress said.
