Dolly Parton to Receive 2025 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at Annual Governors Awards
Dolly Parton has won 10 Grammys and a Primetime Emmy, among countless other awards. Soon, she'll have an Oscar statuette to add to her collection.
On Nov. 16, the country music legend is slated to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars' annual Governors Awards. Parton will join a short list of music stars who have received this award, including Frank Sinatra (1970), Quincy Jones (1994), Harry Belafonte (2014) and Debbie Reynolds (2015).
More from Billboard
Dolly Parton's Dollywood Foundation Makes $4.5 Million Investment in Nashville Public Library Early Literacy Program
Addison Rae Announces Dates For Debut 2025 Headlining World Tour
How Brandon Lake Is Leading A Whole New Flock To 'What's Real And What's True' In Christian Music
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' board of governors also voted to present Honorary Awards to Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise and Wynn Thomas. These four Oscar statuettes will be presented at the Academy's 16th Governors Awards event on Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
'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.'
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given 'to 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.'
The award recognizes Parton for her decades-long humanitarian efforts. She has founded various charitable and philanthropic organizations, including the Dollywood Foundation, which was created in 1988 to inspire the children of East Tennessee — her home state — to achieve educational success. Additionally, her literacy program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, launched in 1995 in honor of her father and has provided children with 285 million books. It evolved into an international movement and remains the signature program of the Dollywood Foundation.
Parton has starred in such films as Nine to Five and Steel Magnolias. She has earned two Oscar nominations in the best original song category for 'Nine to Five' – which was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 – and 'Travelin' Thru' from Transamerica.
Cruise has received four Oscar nominations: best actor for Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Jerry Maguire (1996), best supporting actor for Magnolia (1999) and best picture as a producer of Top Gun: Maverick (2022). His other notable film credits include Risky Business, A Few Good Men, Interview with the Vampire, Eyes Wide Shut, Vanilla Sky and the Mission: Impossible film series.
An Academy statement credited Cruise with 'help(ing) to usher the industry through a challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic.' It also praised him for 'showcasing a deep commitment to his craft – including performing all of his own stunts.'
Allen is being recognized for her work over nearly five decades as a choreographer, actor, and producer. She choreographed the Oscar ceremony seven times, as well as films including Forget Paris, A Jazzman's Blues and The Six Triple Eight. Her producing credits include Amistad and A Star for Rose. Allen made her mark as an actress with Fame, Ragtime and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling.
Production designer Thomas began his career working on Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, which was the first of several collaborations between the two. Others include Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Da 5 Bloods. Lee received an Honorary Oscar in 2015. Other notable credits from Thomas' career include the best picture-winning A Beautiful Mind, as well as Cinderella Man and Hidden Figures.
Best of Billboard
Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1
Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits
H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
26 minutes ago
Dolly Parton, Tom Cruise among stars to receive honorary Oscars
Dolly Parton and Tom Cruise can now add honorary Oscars to their long lists of accolades. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday in a press release that the "9 to 5" singer and "Mission Impossible" star will receive honorary Oscars at the 16th annual Governors Awards, which will take place later this year. Cruise, choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas will receive Academy Honorary Awards at the ceremony. Honorary Awards 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," according to the press release. Parton is set to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which is given "to 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," according to the academy. "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," AMPAS President Janet Yang said in a statement Tuesday. "The Academy's Board of Governors is honored to recognize these brilliant artists." As for what led to Cruise's recognition, Yang cited his "incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community [that] has inspired us all." Yang said Parton "exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award through her unwavering dedication to charitable efforts." Allen is being recognized for her long career as "a trailblazing choreographer and actor, whose work has captivated generations and crossed genres," Yang said. Thomas, she added, "has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft." Cruise has been previously nominated for three acting Oscars and also earned a best picture nod as a producer on 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick." Allen has choreographed the Academy Awards ceremony seven times, according to Tuesday's press release. Thomas is known for his work on several acclaimed Spike Lee films, including "Do The Right Thing" and "Malcolm X." Parton has a long history of humanitarian work. She founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 "to inspire the children in her home county to achieve educational success," according to the organization's website, and launched the book gifting program Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in 1995. The 16th annual Governors Awards will be held Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dolly Parton adds honorary Oscar to her trophy shelf: A look back at her legendary awards history
Dolly Parton, whose iconic career has spanned over six decades, will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2025 Governors Awards this November. While this marks her first Oscar, the music icon has earned hundreds of accolades. Since debuting on the Grand Ole Opry stage at just 13, Parton has become a trailblazer, writing herself into the canon of American songwriting with hits like 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You.' Over the years, she has extended her influence into Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, and even Tony territory. More from GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'Elio' reviews knock Pixar for 'repeating itself' with 'forgettable' space adventure 'F1: The Movie' reviews: Brad Pitt burns rubber with 'macho panache' in a high-octane thrill ride Parton's relationship with the Grammys is nothing short of historic. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards from 54 nominations, placing her among the most nominated female artists in the show's history. She won her first Grammy in 1978 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her Here You Come Again album. In 2011, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and two of her most beloved songs — 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You' — have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Her 1971 classic "Coat of Many Colors" was selected for the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. SEEDolly Parton: 15 best songs ranked In 2017, she returned to the Grammy spotlight with a win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, joining forces with Pentatonix on an a cappella rendition of 'Jolene.' Though she has never won a competitive Oscar, Parton has been nominated for Best Original Song twice: for '9 to 5' (1981), the feminist anthem from the workplace comedy in which she also starred, and 'Travelin' Thru' (2006), written for the LGBTQ-themed drama Transamerica. On the television front, Parton has also made a significant mark. Her first Emmy nomination came in 1978 for The Cher... Special. Decades later, in 2021, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie as executive producer of the Netflix holiday special Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square. She's also been recognized for other TV projects she produced and starred in, including Dolly Parton's Heartstrings: These Old Bones (2020), Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love (2017), and Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas (2023). On stage, she received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score for the musical 9 to 5, which premiered on Broadway in 2009. In the world of country music, few artists rival Parton's impact. She has won 13 Academy of Country Music Awards (from 44 nominations) and 10 Country Music Association Awards (from 45 nominations), including Entertainer of the Year in 1978 — making her the first woman to win the honor solo. Her accolades also include 13 CMT Music Awards, 48 BMI Awards, three American Music Awards, a GLAAD Media Award, and one Billboard Music Award, despite her many appearances across Billboard charts. Most recently, in 2024, Billboard named her the No. 1 Greatest Country Artist of All Time. She is a member of the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her reach extends beyond Nashville. In 2022, Parton was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has also received the National Medal of the Arts from the U.S. Congress and was a 2006 Kennedy Center Honoree. But not everything Dolly has done is golden: She received a Razzie Award for Worst Original Song for the track "Drinkin'stein" from Rhinestone. But we think she's recovered. "Now, when I was a little girl, I would sit around the radio, listening to the Grand Ole Opry and hearing all those great big stars like Hank Williams and Kitty Wells and Johnny Cash and I dreamed of what my life could actually become as well," she said when learning about her Billboard honor. "I take none of this for granted." Best of GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'It almost killed me': Horror maestro Mike Flanagan looks back at career-making hits from 'Gerald's Game' to 'Hill House' to 'Life of Chuck' Stephen King movies: 14 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marc Maron's ‘Are We Good?': What happens when stars clash with their documentary filmmakers
In Steven Feinartz's documentary Are We Good? about comedian and podcast pioneer Marc Maron, the director and subject grapple over who is in control of the narrative. When Feinartz suggests animating still photographs to help chronicle both Maron's career and his life after the unexpected death of his partner, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, the comedian is against it. Yet Feinartz, who had full creative control over the project, used the animation anyway. More from GoldDerby Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, and Wynn Thomas to receive honorary Oscars TV's double threats: 10 actors eyeing nominations for both comedy and drama at the 2025 Emmys Beyond Alexis Bledel: 7 other times actors withdrew themselves from Emmy consideration "The moment I mentioned animation, I could already hear [Marc] recoiling," says Feinartz. "If the film didn't have that back and forth, it wouldn't feel like a Maron doc. He's not someone who just sits back and lets you tell his story. There was trust, but also a kind of tension." Are We Good?, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 14, is the latest celebrity documentary that incorporates a star subject visibly and verbally struggling with their decision to surrender creative authority to a director. Matt Wolf's HBO documentary series Pee-wee as Himself and Bess Kargman's Diane Warren: Relentless, about the Oscar-nominated songwriter, also feature on-camera, often uncomfortable, banter between the subject and the director about who should have control over a story that each wants to tell differently. (In both cases, the director had complete control over the project and its final cut.) In the opening sequence of Wolf's Pee-wee as Himself, the late artist and performer Paul Reubens tells the camera, "You are not supposed to control your own documentary. You are supposed to [make] people, many people, alright, everyone but me, feel that as the subject of a documentary that you really don't have a handle. Have a take. What's the word I'm looking for? What is everyone telling me that I don't have on myself?' "Perspective,' Wolf can be heard saying off-camera, to which Reubens responds, 'You and I are going to be arguing [about that] for a long, long time. Until this documentary is finished. You mark my words.' Wolf and Reubens' contentious verbal relationship is captured throughout the two-part series, which premiered on HBO in May. "Paul and I were involved in a power struggle," says Wolf. "He didn't like the answer 'no,' and as a director, I'm accustomed to getting my way. We had similar ideas about his story and how it should be told. I just needed Paul to let go, so that I could do what I needed to do to reappraise him as an artist. I think at the end of the day, Paul and I wanted the same thing. However, to achieve those goals, I needed to be tough about maintaining my editorial autonomy." SEE'Pee-wee as Himself': Director Matt Wolf on exploring the duality of Paul Reubens and earning his trust — 'It was a constant struggle' In Kargman's Relentless, which debuted at SXSW in 2024, Warren's prolific songwriting career is examined. So is Warren's innate desire not to discuss her creative process or show up for certain interviews. At one point in the documentary, Warren tells Kargman that a camera is placed at a bad angle before grabbing it and repositioning it. At several points in the film, Kargman confronts Warren about her production power plays. Kargman says that while she didn't want the audience to hear her voice in Relentless, she also wanted them to know what it was like to be in her shoes and "experience what I was experiencing." "As I say in the film Diane had a wall up, and I was trying to break through it," she says. "I wanted the audience to experience the occasional deep frustration I had, so you hear me challenge her. In a perfect world, I would not have put myself in the film." To hear Feinartz, Wolf, and Kargman verbally debate with their respective subjects about style, storytelling, or final cut gives each film tension and an air of authenticity. "If anything, the banter between me and Marc just made things more transparent," says Feinartz. "You see me trying to make a film, you see him pushing back. It's less about control and more about letting the mess be part of the film." The power struggle unfolding in all three documentaries is, at times, jarring but also entertaining. Arguably, the breaking of the fourth wall is more captivating than the profile being told, which could, in part, be due to the fact that most celebrity-driven documentaries are boring self-produced infomercials that offer little in the way of new, unusual, or engrossing information about the subject. Practically any doc featuring a musician — Halftime about Jennifer Lopez, Miss Americana about Taylor Swift, and Homecoming about Beyoncé — is a carefully constructed commercial produced by the star or their record label. While recent celebrity documentaries like Elton John: Never Too Late, Martha, Beckham, and The Last Dance were all insightful, there is the issue of subjects being paid to participate, which raises questions about creative control and merit. "I definitely wanted the audience to be clear that this is not a puff piece, or a vanity project," says Wolf. "However, more importantly, control was an important theme in the film. Paul separated himself from Pee-wee Herman as an artistic and professional choice, but also as a way to protect his anonymity. When that precise separation crumbled after Paul's arrest, it was devastating for him. Paul lost control of his personal narrative in the media, so it was very relevant that he struggled with issues of control in the documentary. I was less interested in making a meta-commentary on celebrity documentaries, and more interested in understanding Paul's experiences both in the past and in the present while making the documentary." The recent trend toward push-pull celeb-docs docs is a welcome diversion from the puff pieces that soft-pedal around their A-list subjects. But it's anyone's guess at this point if distributors will get behind raw docs about celebrities or stick with what works — fake docs about celebrities. Are We Good? is seeking distribution. Best of GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'It almost killed me': Horror maestro Mike Flanagan looks back at career-making hits from 'Gerald's Game' to 'Hill House' to 'Life of Chuck' Stephen King movies: 14 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
