Nicole Kidman was awarded Australia's highest civil honor, the Companion in the Order of Australia, on Friday. Although the award was announced back in January, she had been unable to receive the medal at that time.

The Oscar-winning actress received the award both for her work as a motion picture performer and for her charity work with women, children and cancer research.

The ceremony took place in Canberra, at the Government House. Nicole received the medal from Governor General Michael Jeffrey. This is the highest civil honor for Aussies, equivalent to the English knighthood.

Nicole Kidman has also been named Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, working on raising awareness of the infringement on women's rights across the world. She has also served as a UNICEF Ambassador for Australia.