Stephen was the Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre between 1992 and 1998, and he was the recipient of several Olivier Awards, Tony Awards, and Evening Standard Awards. He was nominated for a BAFTA Short Film Award for his first film "Eight". His Oscar nominated debut feature "Billy Elliot" was nominated in two categories at the Golden Globes and grossed over $100,000,000 worldwide. His success continued in 2003 with his film "The Hours", which was nominated for Best Film, Best Director and won Nicole Kidman her first Oscar for Best Actress at the Academy Awards.