CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 14: Tom Cruise departs the “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning” red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 14, 2025 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images)
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Film icons Tom Cruise, Debbie Allen, Dolly Parton and Wynn Thomas are being honored with honorary Oscars Sunday night in Los Angeles.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the recipients of the 2025 Honorary Oscars in June. AMPAS’ 16th Governors Awards event — which is not televised — is being held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood. Cruise, Allen, Parton and Thomas will all receive Oscar statuettes.
Actor and producer Cruise, production designer Thomas and actor, choreographer and director Allen will each receive the Honorary Award, which is “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,” AMPAS said in a press release in June.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Debbie Allen attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Cindy Ord/VF25/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
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Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which the Academy said is an award presented “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.”
“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,” said Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement in an AMPAS press release. “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,” Yang added. “And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft.”
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JANUARY 28: Dolly Parton performs during “Dolly: An Original Musical” fireside chat and press conference at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on January 28, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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Tom Cruise Was Previously Nominated For 4 Oscars; Parton For 2
Top Gun and Mission: Impossible star-producer Tom Cruise was previously nominated for four Oscars. His first Oscar nod came in 1990 for Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July, which was followed by another Best Actor nomination for Jerry Maguire in 1997.
Cruise also received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Magnolia in 2000 and was one of the nominated producers named in the Best Picture nomination in 2023 for Top Gun: Maverick.’
Dolly Parton was previously nominated for two Best Original Song Oscars, in 1981 for the title song for 9 to 5, and in 2006 for the song “Travelin’ Through” from the film Transamerica. Allen (Fame, Amistad), who has won six Primetime Emmy Awards, has never received an Oscar nomination, nor has Wynn Thomas.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 07: Wynn Thomas attends the Paramount +’s “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” FYC Event at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on June 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images)
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Thomas’ production design credits include several Spike Lee films, She’s Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Da 5 Bloods, as well as the Best Picture Oscar nominee Hidden Figures.
Cruise, Allen and Thomas will all be in attendance to receive their Oscars Sunday night, but Parton will not be at the ceremony as she deals with health issues, according to Variety. Parton will receive her Academy honor remotely from Nashville, Tenn., The Hollywood Reporter noted in October.
The Honorary Oscars recipients are traditionally highlighted at AMPAS’ annual Academy Awards ceremony. The 98th Oscars will be handed out on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/11/16/tom-cruise-among-honorary-oscar-recipients-at-sundays-academy-governors-awards/
