Why Are Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton and More Receiving Honorary Oscars? Learn About Their Win at 2025 Governors Awards
Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas will each receive honorary Oscars at the 16th annual Governors Awards. The ceremony will take place on November 16, 2025, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood. The awards are given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize lifetime achievements and contributions to the film industry.
Cruise, Allen, and Thomas will receive the Honorary Award, while Parton will be presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award as per Variety.
Why are these four stars being honored?
'These brilliant artists have made a lasting impact on the film industry,' said Academy President Janet Yang. '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.'
Tom Cruise is being honored for his work both in front of and behind the camera. The Academy praised his 'incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunt community.'
Cruise has three acting Oscar nominations for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia, and helped revive the box office during the COVID-19 pandemic with Top Gun: Maverick. He is also known for hits like Mission: Impossible, Risky Business, and A Few Good Men.
Debbie Allen is being recognized as a trailblazing choreographer and actor who has worked across genres and generations. She choreographed the Oscars seven times and has acted in films like Fame and Ragtime. Her credits also include A Jazzman's Blues, Forget Paris, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, and producing work on Amistad and A Star for Rose.
Here's why Dolly Parton is receiving a Humanitarian Oscar
Dolly Parton is set to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in recognition of her decades-long commitment to charitable work. The Academy stated that she exemplifies the values of the award through her consistent dedication to philanthropy.
Her Dollywood Foundation focuses on supporting education in East Tennessee, while her Imagination Library has distributed more than 285 million books worldwide since its launch in 1995. In addition to her humanitarian efforts, Parton is a two-time Oscar nominee for Best Original Song.
Wynn Thomas will receive an Honorary Oscar for his visionary work as a production designer. He began his film career with Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It and went on to work on classics like Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, A Beautiful Mind, and Hidden Figures. The Academy recognized his visionary eye and mastery of his craft.
The Honorary Award is given to individuals who have shown exceptional achievement over a lifetime, made significant contributions to the motion picture arts and sciences, or provided outstanding service to the Academy. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recognizes those in the film industry whose humanitarian efforts have positively impacted society and brought credit to the industry.
The 16th Governors Awards are being held in partnership with Rolex, the official watch sponsor of the Academy. Previous honorees included Quincy Jones (posthumously), casting director Juliet Taylor, filmmaker Richard Curtis, and James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
F1 movie review: Brad Pitt delivers the most enjoyable film of the year
Joseph Kosinski, who directed Tom Cruise's bona fide smash 'Top Gun: Maverick', is also the director of the upcoming motor-racing adrenaline rush titled 'F1'. To sum up F1 in a line - it's about experiencing a visceral, high-speed head rush inside the claustrophobic cockpit of a racing car.'Top Gun Maverick' and 'F1' have a lot of similarities - both are headlined by the world's biggest superstars. One has the daredevil Tom Cruise while the other has the absolutely charming and handsome Brad Pitt. They both have top-notch soundtracks boasting of big pop stars like Lady Gaga in 'Top Gun' and Doja Cat in 'F1'. But despite the comparisons, they are both very different. How ? Let's find has Pitt playing the title role of a washed-out ageing race driver, Sunny Hayes. He gets a once-in-a-lifetime offer from his old colleague, played by Javier Bardem, to join his team of racers and help him qualify and possibly win the F1 title. It all seems very unlikely with Sunny's ageing career and rising competition from Joshua Pearce played by the surprise package of the film - Damson Idris. There are so many subplots that add up and lead to that mind-numbing climax, and every actor and character has his or her space in this high-octane journey. Take a look at F1's trailer: F1 is easily one of the best films of the year simply because it knows how to dish out what it promises to its audience. From the very first frame to the last, the build-up is so solid that you forgive some of the gaps and overlook the blunders. The camera work is sharp and the Hans Zimmer background score is hypnotic. It almost feels like the Inception sound on LSD. But the single best reason why 'F1' works so well on the big screen is - Brad Pitt bringing that good old-school charisma back to the big director has clocked some bare-body money shots of Pitt to show that he still has got that sizzle, but it's his face that really is the main draw. With those tossed-up hair and that blue-eyed grin he could sell you air for a dime, and you would buy a barrel! Another strong point of the film is the young actor Damson Idris, who is rock solid in his performance as Pitt's adversary cum sidekick. His character is so nuanced and grey that it's a delight to watch him in awe. He stands his own ground in the big stand-off scenes with Pitt and excels at his craft.'F1' is not deep or serious. It doesn't engage you much at that level. But it reminds us why we go to the theatres - to have a blast. At a time when this experience of having a good time in the theatres is getting less and less enjoyable, 'F1' is a reason to celebrate. Jump on that ride, fasten your seat belt because 'F1' is one hell of an adrenaline rush that you don't want to miss!4 out of 5 stars to Reel
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere trailer: Jeremy Allen White is aiming for the stars in this musical biopic
Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere, starring Jeremy Allen White, dropped its trailer on Wednesday and it is exactly what the fans were hoping for. Here, we see Jeremy playing Bruce Springsteen, in the much anticipated film and if his performance in The Bear hasn't impressed people already, it seems like this will push him to the upper echelon of Hollywood. In the last few years, actors in popular musical biopics have ended up becoming Oscar nominees, and sometimes winners as well, and if this biopic is everything that it seems to be, this could be Jeremy's year. Apart from Jeremy, the film also stars Jeremy Strong as his manager, Stephen Graham as his father, Paul Walter Hauser, Odessa Young among other actors. The film is directed by Scott Cooper, based on the book 'Deliver Me from Nowhere' by Warren Zanes. The film doesn't look like a traditional biopic that traces the entire life of the singer but follows him during the making of his 'Nebraska' album, with bits and pieces from childhood that left a mark on his identity. In 2024, Timothee Chalamet appeared in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, that scored him many accolades, and he was also a frontrunner at the Oscars, which was ultimately won by Adrien Brody for The Brutalist. In 2022, Austin Butler played Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis and while the film received polarised reactions, Austin's performance was unanimously praised, and he too, scored an Oscar nomination, but ultimately lost to Brendan Fraser for The Whale. In 2019, Rami Malek, who was until then best known for his work in the television show Mr Robot, won the Best Actor award at the Oscars for playing Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. In an earlier chat with Sirius XM, Springsteen said that he found that Jeremy 'sings very well.' Gaby Hoffmann, who plays young Bruce's mother on the film, previously told Screen Rant that even though she hadn't seen Jeremy perform, she had heard that Springsteen was awed when he first heard the actor sing. 'I even heard that Bruce couldn't believe that what he was hearing wasn't his own voice when he heard Jeremy sing,' she said. Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere is scheduled to release in theatres on October 24. Jeremy Allen White is currently waiting for the release of the fourth season of The Bear on June 25. In India, the show premieres on JioHotstar.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
The Brutalist OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Adrien Brody's Oscar-winning epic period film in India
The Brutalist OTT Release Date: When you dive into The Brutalist, you're stepping into a sweeping post-war saga that feels personal and epic at once. It follows László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Jewish-Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor, who arrives in the U.S. in the late 1940s with his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and niece Zsófia (the haunting Raffey Cassidy). They're broken, carrying both trauma and hope. In Pennsylvania, László catches the eye of industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), who sees more than concrete and steel; he sees potential, but also potential compromise. László finds success designing grand structures, but each success carries a new burden: balancing personal integrity with commercial demand, remembering the past while trying to build a future. Good news: from June 28, 2025, The Brutalist is streaming on JioHotstar in India. It had been on rental-only platforms like Prime Video, AppleTV and Zee5, but now anyone can stream it freely if they've got JioHotstar. Cast, crew and the creative force behind it all Adrien Brody delivers an Oscar-winning turn as László. Felicity Jones brings softness and strength as Erzsébet, while Guy Pearce gives off that elegant, slightly cold edge you expect from a tycoon. Joe Alwyn, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Alessandro Nivola, and Isaach de Bankolé round out a powerhouse supporting cast. The Brutalist is directed and co‑written by Brady Corbet, with writing help from Mona Fastvold, and carried by Lol Crawley's cinematic eye and Daniel Blumberg's unforgettable score. More about The Brutalist Premiered at Venice in September 2024, winning the Silver Lion, then played Toronto and New York festivals. It hit U.S. theatres late last year, came to India in Feb 2025, and by March had scooped Oscars for Best Actor (Brody), Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score at the 97th Academy Awards. Golden Globes, Baftas, critics' awards and AFI top‑10 lists followed.
