Zendaya will receive this year’s CinemaCon Star of the Year Award, Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon, announced today. CinemaCon, the official convention of NATO, will be held April 24-27, 2023, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Zendaya will be presented with this special honor at the Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony taking place on the evening of Thursday, April 27, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and hosted by official presenting sponsor The Coca-Cola Company.

“In just a few short years, Zendaya has captured audiences’ attention with her compassionate performance on the small screen as Rue in “Euphoria” and has drawn audiences in on the big screen with her performances in “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, “The Greatest Showman” and “Dune”,” noted Neuhauser. “We could not be more honored to present Zendaya with this year’s CinemaCon Star of the Year Award.”

Later this year Zendaya will return to her role as Chani in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “Dune: Part Two”. This follow-up film will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. Zendaya can be seen this fall in MGM’s bold new romantic sports drama called “Challengers”, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist (“West Side Story”), and Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”, “God’s Own Country”), directed by Luca Guadagnino (“Bones and All”, “Call Me by Your Name”).

With a childhood spent at the local theater where her mother worked, Zendaya began her career performing in Oakland, California before making her foray into television starring in the hit Disney Channel series “Shake it Up” and “K.C. Undercover”. Her role as Rue on the critically acclaimed television series Euphoria earned her 2 Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series, making her the youngest women ever to win an Emmy in this category.

Zendaya has made a name for herself on the big screen as well, starting with her feature film debut in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” where she joined the Spider-Man Universe. From there, she went on to deliver outstanding performances in films such as “The Greatest Showman”, “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, and “Dune”. Her other notable projects include “Malcolm & Marie”, which she helped create and produce during the pandemic, “Space Jam: A New Legacy”, and the animated film “Smallfoot”.

About CinemaCon
CinemaCon attracts upwards of 6,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry – from exhibition and distribution to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the movie-going experience and the cinema industry.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also thrilled to have The Coca-Cola Company – one of the industry’s most highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies – as its official presenting sponsor.

About NATO
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 35,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and more than 32,000 screens in 100 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world as well as hundreds of independent theatre owners.

Additional information on CinemaCon can be found at www.cinemacon.com.