Bradley Cooper presented with NBR Icon Award at 2024 National Board of Review Gala in NYC … amid award season push for Maestro

Bradley Cooper attended the 2024 National Board of Review Gala in New York City on Thursday, where he received the board’s Icon Award.

The 49-year-old Philadelphia native was stylishly dressed in a navy blue shirt with black chest pockets and a white button-up shirt at the event, which was held at Cipriani 42nd Street restaurant.

Cooper is heading into awards season in support of the film Maestro, which he wrote, directed and starred in, playing legendary late composer Leonard Bernstein.

At the event, he was seen attending proceedings with Ethan Hawke, Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman, and posed for a photo with NBR President Annie Schulhof.

Kuiper said Access to Hollywood that he felt humbled in the presence of some celebrated icons in the entertainment industry.

Cooper donned glasses as he accepted the Icon Award accolade

“I’m actually quite happy to be here in a room with Martin Scorsese and Paul Giamatti,” Cooper said. “You know, that’s the nice thing about this awards ceremony: they’re always great people.

“And I’ve been fortunate enough to be here a few times over the years, so that’s why I’m happy to be here.”

In his speech accepting the honor, Cooper said friendship ‘is really what it’s all about’ and the reason he’s still alive.

“Sometimes friendship can create art that we can all benefit from,” Cooper said, referring to the long-standing collaborative relationships between Killers of the Flower Moon’s director Scorsese and actors Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

He also thanked event organizers for the honor, as well as the opportunity to meet actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was honored by the board for her work in The Holdovers.

“I have to tell her how inspiring she is,” he said.

He cited Michael J. Fox — who was in attendance, as his documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie was honored — as an early inspiration, citing two of his favorite films: 1987’s The Secret of My Success and Doc Hollywood 1991.

“Those were the movies I watched all the time … because there was something about what he did that made me feel like he was my friend,” he said of Fox.

The Philadelphia native was stylishly dressed at the event in a navy blue shirt with black chest pockets and a white button-up shirt

The A-list actor posed next to Annie Schulhof, chair of the National Board of Review

Cooper said at the event that he felt humbled to be in the presence of some celebrated icons in the entertainment industry

The A-star of films such as Limitless, The Hangover and Silver Linings Playbook enjoyed a laugh at the event in the Big Apple

Cooper is heading into awards season in support of the film Maestro, which he wrote, directed and starred in, playing legendary late composer Leonard Bernstein

Cooper cited fellow honorees Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Michael J. Fox (with wife Tracy Pollan) as inspirational figures for him

He also spoke to Entertainment tonight At the event, he told the newspaper that he had considered taking his daughter, Lea de Seine, six, to the 96th annual Oscars in March, but was noncommittal about the idea.

“I mean, let’s see what happens,” Cooper said, acknowledging Lea de Seine’s cameo in Maestro as Little Jamie.

He said of his daughter – who he shares with model Irina Shayk, 38: ‘She was in the movie – yeah, she was great – she was really great.’

Cooper brought his mother Gloria Campano to the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards Sunday, held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, earlier this week.

Cooper had previously taken Campano to events and award shows in recent years, including the 2022 Academy Awards, the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards and the 2015 Tony Awards.

The Academy Award-nominated star went to work with his mother four years ago at the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said in August 2020 Interview magazine piece: ‘I’m with my daughter and my mother and my two dogs, and we haven’t left the house

‘My mother is turning 80 and she has a colostomy bag, so I can’t let anyone into the house. And I can’t leave the house because if she gets it, it’s over.’

Cooper was flanked by Anne Hathaway as he delivered his acceptance speech

In accepting the honor, Cooper said friendship is “really what it’s all about” and the reason he’s still alive

At the event, he was spotted performing with Hathaway and Adam Shulman

Cooper posed with fellow actor Ethan Hawke, with whom he performed in New York’s 2008 I Love You

He was nominated for two awards at Sunday’s Golden Globes: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama; and Best Director, Film.

Cooper lost on both counts amid Oppenheimer’s overwhelming success, as lead actor Cillian Murphy and director Christopher Nolan captured honors in the aforementioned categories.

Cooper has yet to win a Golden Globe, despite being nominated six times.

In addition to Sunday’s two nominations, he was nominated in the past for his work on 2018’s A Star Is Born (Best Director – Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama).

He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for 2013’s American Hustle and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook.