Judi Dench to receive IFTA lifetime achievement award at Dublin event

Legendary actress Judi Dench will be presented with IFTA’s lifetime achievement award at an event in Dublin this July.

Dench is known for her extensive body of work that ranges from playing M in the James Bond films, her Oscar-winning performance in Shakespeare In Love, playing the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret on London’s West End, and was most recently seen in the hit film Belfast.

The lifetime achievement will be presented to her on Thursday 6th July at a very special ‘In Conversation Event’ at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, hosted by Deirdre O’Kane.

Dench expressed how honoured she feels to be acknowledged in Ireland for her body of work, and said “it’s especially wonderful for me to receive this lifetime achievement award from the Irish Film and Television Academy, as my family are from Ireland and it gives me a wonderful excuse to return to Dublin.”

Dench’s roots with Dublin run deep, with her parents meeting when they were studying at Trinity College.

 Áine Moriarty, Chief Executive of IFTA, said “It’s such an honour to pay tribute to Judi Dench and to celebrate her extraordinary talent, work and career. Judi is a master of her craft; the breadth and variety of her work on stage and screen has solidified her as one of the most respected and iconic actors of her generation.”

 “We look forward to hosting this special event with Judi and presenting her with the Irish Academy Lifetime Achievement Award here in Dublin, the city where her parents grew up.”

Dench joins esteemed company as the recipient of IFTA’s lifetime achievement award, with the honour previously bestowed upon icons such as Maureen O’Hara, Liam Neeson, Fionnula Flanagan and Jim Sheridan.

A small number of tickets will be made available to the public, and will be available from ifta.ie