Australian director Baz Luhrmann may not have his own Academy Award, but he joked on Friday that he secretly pretends using two Oscars won by his wife, set and costume designer Catherine Martin.

“Just for the record I do sneak in and grab the Oscars … run around with them … but she never knows I touch them,” he joked at the “G’Day USA” dinner in New York City on Friday where the director was being honoured by his homeland.

“I like to think of my incredible creative partner as a nominating machine,” said Luhrmann – who was nominated for an Oscar for “Moulin Rouge” in 2002 — after Martin received her fourth Oscar nomination this week for her work on “Australia.” Luhrmann, who directed “Australia,” was left out.

Luhrmann was honored at the dinner at the Waldorf Astoria by actress Nicole Kidman, who recalled her own memories of meeting her husband, country star Keith Urban, at a “G’day USA” event in Los Angeles.

“Four years ago I was honored at a similar event in Los Angeles and a young musician, very talented musician was being honored that night too, and I had never heard of him,” Kidman said. “Now I have heard of him and I have to say I owe a lot to this event.”

“G’day USA” is an annual week long celebration to promote Australia in the United States.