The actors Jude Law and Sir Michael Gambon are to be honoured at next month’s British Independent Film Awards for their contribution to the industry in the UK.

Law – recently seen in Anna Karenina – will receive the Variety Award, while Sir Michael – next to be seen in Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut, Quartet – is being given the Richard Harris Award.

First presented in 2002, the Richard Harris Award recognises what the BIFA organisers describe as an “outstanding contribution to British film by an actor” and has previously been given to John Hurt, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes, among others. This year’s honouree is being seen as particularly poignant, because Sir Michael took on the role of Harry Potter’s headmaster at Hogwarts, Dumbledore, after the death of Richard Harris.

The Variety Award, previously won by Daniel Craig, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Liam Neeson and Dame Helen Mirren, is presented to actors, directors, writers or producers who focus the international spotlight on the UK’s film industry. The BIFA organisers say Law is a quintessentially British actor, who has become a truly international star, working with Hollywood’s leading directors, including Steven Spielberg (AI), Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition), Martin Scorsese (Hugo), Clint Eastwood (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) and Anthony Minghella (The Talented Mr Ripley), among others.

The pair will collect their prizes at an awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate on December 9th.