Photo: TNIE
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that the 16th annual Governors Awards will celebrate four cinema and music icons on November 16 at Ovation Hollywood's Ray Dolby Ballroom. Every year, several people are considered for these prestigious honours.
This year's Honorary Awards will go to actor-filmmaker Tom Cruise, production designer Wynn Thomas, and choreographer-actress Debbie Allen. Dolly Parton, a philanthropist and performer, will also receive the coveted Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Academy President Janet Yang underlined the recipient’s substantial influence on the filmmaking community, TNIE reported.
"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," Yang stated.
She underscored the Board of Governors' honour in recognising "these brilliant artists," highlighting Allen's trailblazing work, Cruise's dedication to the theatre and stunts communities, Parton's unwavering commitment to humanitarian efforts, and Thomas's visionary contributions to enduring films, IANS reported.
The Honorary Award specifically acknowledges "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or outstanding service to the Academy."
Cruise, one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood history, has long been a vocal supporter of theatrical exhibition. He played a key role in reigniting box office momentum during the pandemic with “Top Gun: Maverick”.
Known for performing his own stunts, the star’s accolades include three acting Oscar nominations for “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Jerry Maguire” and “Magnolia.”
Debbie Allen, an actor, choreographer, and producer, has made an unforgettable impression on television and stage for nearly five decades. Her choreography was featured in seven Oscar ceremonies, and she also worked on films such as Forget Paris, The Six Triple Eight, and A Jazzman's Blues.
Allen's production works include A Star for Rose and Amistad, and her significant acting roles include Fame, Your Life Is Calling, Ragtime, and Jo Jo Dancer. Wynn Thomas, a Black production design pioneer, began his cinematic career in 1986 with filmmaker Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It. He later worked with Lee on outstanding films like Do the Right Thing, Da 5 Bloods, and Malcolm X.
Thomas's distinguished work also includes Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind, along with the Academy Award-nominated film Hidden Figures.
Also an Academy Award statuette, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recognises "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."
Dolly Parton, an actor and musician, will receive this honour for her decades of philanthropic work. Parton has sold over 100 million singles and appeared in classic films such as Steel Magnolias and Nine to Five.
She received two Oscar nominations for Best Original Song: 'Travelin' Thru' in Transamerica and the title song from 'Nine to Five'. Parton's humanitarian work is vast; in 1988, she launched the Dollywood Foundation to promote education in her homeland of East Tennessee. Furthermore, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, her well-known literacy campaign, has distributed more than 285 million books worldwide since its start in 1995.