in 1991, courau was nominated for a "césar", for most promising actress ("meilleur espoir féminin"), and won a european film award for best actress, both for the film "le petit criminel" (1990). she then appeared in dusty hughes' "a slip of the tongue" opposite john malkovich on the stage, and in vincent ward's "map of the human heart". in 1995, she won the "prix suzanne bianchetti" at the sacd awards. she was nominated again for a "césar" twice in 1996 for best supporting actress ("meilleur second rôle féminin") and most promising actress ("meilleur espoir féminin") both for the film "élisa". in 1998 she was named as one of european cinema's "shooting stars" by european film promotion and in 2000 she won the "prix romy schneider". she was also created a dame of the "ordre des arts et des lettres" of france on 7 february 2007.