Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, and Wynn Thomas to receive honorary Oscars
Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, and production designer Wynn Thomas will receive honorary Oscars at this year's Governor Awards. In addition, Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday.
The quartet will be feted at the 16th Governors Awards event on Sunday, Nov. 16 in Los Angeles.
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"This year's Governors Awards will celebrate four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our filmmaking community continue to leave a lasting impact," Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. "The Academy's Board of Governors is honored to recognize these brilliant artists. Debbie Allen is a trailblazing choreographer and actor, whose work has captivated generations and crossed genres. Tom Cruise's incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community has inspired us all. Beloved performer Dolly Parton exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award through her unwavering dedication to charitable efforts. And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft."
Honorary Oscars are given "to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy." Recipients tend to be people who have not won competitive Oscars, though some who have won competitively have also received one.
Allen, who has won four Emmys for her work as a choreographer (she has five total), has choreographed seven Oscar ceremonies, as well as such films as Forget Paris, A Jazzman's Blues, and The Six Triple Eight. The Fame and Ragtime star's producing credits include Amistad and A Star for Rose.
SEE Tom Cruise's greatest films ranked
Cruise, who can currently be seen in Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, has received three acting Oscar nominations for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia, and has long been cited as one of the biggest stars who has not won an Oscar. The daredevil actor and theatrical experience advocate was last nominated as producer on Best Picture nominee Top Gun: Maverick. With the addition of a new stunts category for the 100th Oscars in 2028, maybe a competitive statuette is in his future.
Thomas began his career and collaboration with Spike Lee on She's Gotta Have It. The pair have also worked on Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Da 5 Bloods. His other credits include Best Picture champ A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, and Hidden Figures.
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recognizes "an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities."
Parton, a two-time Oscar nominee for songwriting, has established numerous charitable and philanthropic organizations, including the Dollywood Foundation, which was created in 1988 to inspire the children of of her home state of Tennessee to achieve educational success. Launched in 1995, the icon's literacy program "Dolly Parton's Imagination Library" has provided 285 million books to children and has evolved into an international movement.
Last year's Governors Awards recognized Quincy Jones, screenwriter and director Richard Curtis, casting director Juliet Taylor, and James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
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