Carey Mulligan dedicates 'Promising Young Woman' awards win to late 'Harry Potter' actress Helen McCrory

• Carey Mulligan won best actress at the Independent Spirit Awards.
• During her speech, she paid tribute to the late actress Helen McCrory.
• McCrory died April 16 after a battle with cancer.

Carey Mulligan picked up the best actress award for her role in "Promising Young Woman" at the Independent Spirit Awards Thursday evening, and during her acceptance speech, she dedicated the win to British actress Helen McCrory, who died last week after a battle with cancer.

McCrory was a titan of the British film industry with an acclaimed career on both the screen and stage. But she was best known for her performances as Narcissa Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" film series and Polly Gray in the popular TV show "Peaky Blinders."

In her acceptance speech, Mulligan said: "I just want to dedicate this award to a true independent spirit and actress that I have looked up to and will continue to look up to for the rest of my career: Helen McCrory. Thank you to her for everything she gave us."

McCrory's husband, fellow actor Damian Lewis, first announced her passing last week with a statement posted to Twitter. She was 52 years old.

"I'm heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family," Lewis wrote in the tweet.

"She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you," he continued.

During her acceptance speech, Mulligan continued to pay tribute to her fellow nominees. She said: "I'm shocked and in awe and honored to be in this group of extraordinary women and I'm so floored by each and every one of their performances."

The actress beat out fellow nominees Viola Davis ("Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"), Frances McDormand ("Nomadland"), Sidney Flanigan ("Never Rarely Sometimes Always"), Nicole Beharie ("Miss Juneteenth"), and Julia Garner ("The Assistant").

First-time writer-director Emerald Fennell also picked up the best screenplay award for her "Promising Young Woman" script. Mulligan also gave Fennell a shout-out in her acceptance speech.

"I need to just thank first and foremost Emerald Fennell for her complete genius in writing and directing and producing this work," Mulligan said.

"Promising Young Woman" is up for five awards at the Oscars this Sunday.