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At the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards in Beverly Hills on Jan. 10, a ceremony meant to honor work by and for people over 50 shifted unexpectedly into a somber celebration of memory and loss as several stars paid emotional tribute to their mothers. The moments of tears underscored how aging and grief remain central themes for the community the event serves.
The evening mixed levity — with presenters ribbing the realities of getting older — and quieter, intimate acknowledgments of bereavement. Amid laughter from hosts and attendees, Sharon Stone, Laura Dern and Kathy Bates each turned their acceptance remarks into personal remembrances that resonated across the room.
Sharon Stone pauses on the red carpet and again onstage
Stone, who reported the loss of her mother in March 2025, stopped to embrace “Hamnet” star Jessie Buckley on the red carpet and the two were visibly moved. Later, while introducing the film — which won the event’s top prize — Stone reflected on how grief does not vanish but becomes woven into who we are, a point that landed strongly with an audience composed largely of older adults.
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Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, was awarded Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups, and its cast and filmmaker joined Stone onstage to accept the honor.
Laura Dern honors Diane Ladd
Laura Dern, who received the Best Actress award for “Is This Thing On?”, spoke about the recent death of her mother, Diane Ladd, who died in November. Dern noted that the previous time she attended this ceremony it was her mother being celebrated, and she paid tribute to Ladd’s connection with the AARP community.
Chloé Zhao on art and sorrow
Accepting the award for “Hamnet,” director Chloé Zhao framed the film as an exploration of mourning that also points to the restorative power of storytelling. She said that when grief is overwhelming, audiences and artists alike often turn to poetry, film and one another for solace — a sentiment that echoed throughout the night.
Kathy Bates recalls the force behind her performance
At 77, Kathy Bates was the evening’s oldest winner, taking home a television acting award for her role in the CBS series Matlock. Bates became emotional while praising her late mother, describing her as the driving influence behind the character and crediting her mother’s resilience for the confidence she felt standing onstage.
She also reflected on what her mother might have become — and the quiet strength that shaped her own career and life choices.
- Top winners and notable honorees:
- Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups: Hamnet (Chloé Zhao)
- Best Actress: Laura Dern — Is This Thing On?
- Television acting: Kathy Bates — Matlock
- Other winners included George Clooney, Guillermo del Toro, Regina Hall and Noah Wyle
- Why it mattered: The ceremony highlighted how cinematic storytelling can help older audiences process loss and aging, and how awards nights can become platforms for personal testimony.
- Broadcast info: The ceremony will air on PBS’s Great Performances on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.
The awards, held at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, honored film and television work from 2025 aimed at or created by people over 50. While comedians and well-known presenters provided comic relief about getting older, the recurring theme of bereavement — sometimes private, sometimes public — gave the event a reflective edge.
For many attendees and viewers, the AARP ceremony served as a reminder that recognition of creative achievement often comes alongside and is informed by personal histories: the roles our parents played, the losses we carry and the ways art helps make sense of both.
Coverage of the show and clips of the speeches are expected to circulate widely ahead of the PBS broadcast, renewing conversation about aging, representation and how mainstream awards ceremonies address grief in public settings.
