Irish actress Nicola Coughlan, beloved by Bridgerton fans as Penelope Featherington/Lady Whistledown and by Derry Girls enthusiasts as Clare Devlin, will be honored at this year’s Canneseries festival with the prestigious Konbini Commitment Award.
Presented by the French online media group Konbini, the award recognizes individuals whose work stands out for its artistic quality, as well as its societal, innovative, and revolutionary impact.
Previous recipients include Sex Educationcreator Laurie Nunn, American Horror Story star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and Transparent showrunner Joey Soloway.
Coughlan first garnered international acclaim with Derry Girls, a comedy set in 1990s Northern Ireland during the final years of the Troubles.
The series ran for three seasons on Channel 4 and gained a worldwide following after Netflix acquired global streaming rights. It went on to win Best Comedy at the 2023 BAFTA Awards and earned an International Emmy Award.
She later joined the cast of Netflix’s Bridgerton, where she captivated audiences as Penelope Featherington, a Regency-era wallflower with a secret identity as Lady Whistledown, the mysterious author behind a scandalous gossip column.
Coughlan’s portrayal earned her a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Female Actor in a Drama Series, along with two additional SAG nominations as part of the Bridgerton ensemble.
In addition to her iconic TV roles, Coughlan made an appearance as Diplomat Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster Barbie, starred alongside Lydia West in the British series Big Mood, and featured in the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special.
She will soon be seen as Silky the woodland fairy in the upcoming adaptation of Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree, starring alongside Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy.
Coughlan will be presented with the Konbini Commitment Award on stage at the Lumiere Theater in Cannes on April 28th, during the 2025 Canneseries festival, which runs from April 24-29.
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