Australian actress Nicole Kidman has raised eyebrows with a controversial speech after winning her first Emmy Award for her role as Celeste in Big Little Lies.

Accepting her award for Outstanding Lead Actress, 50 year-old Nicole thanked her family, saying she has "two little girls" naming her "Sunny and Faith, and my darling Keith," in her speech.

"I have a huge artistic family who have supported me through all my ups and downs," she said.

"I also am a mother and a wife. I have two little girls, Sunny and Faith, and my darling Keith, who I ask to help me pursue this artistic path. And they have to sacrifice so much for it."

Absent from the list were her two children with her ex-husband Tom Cruise, adopted children Connor, 22, and Isabella, 24.

View photos Nicole has won her first Primetime Emmy Award for her role in Big Little Lies. Source: Fox8 More

View photos Nicole Kidman with daughters Sunny and Faith, and husband Keith. Source: Getty More

In her speech, the actress acknowleged balancing her career with raising her daughters, saying, "I want my little girls to have this [trophy] on their shelf, and to look at it and go, 'Every time my mama didn't put me to bed, it's because of this.'"

View photos Nicole was up against her co-star Reese Witherspoon. Source: Getty More

The mum is married to country singer Keith Urban, with whom she has daughters, Faith, 8, and six-year-old Sunday Rose.

View photos The mum has two adopted children from her 11-year marriage to Tom Cruise, Connor and Isabella. Source: Getty More