Honorary Awards for the 16th Governors Awards
The Academy announced on Tuesday that Tom Cruise will receive an honorary award for the 16th Governors Awards, which will take place on November 16. Cruise is one of four honorary awardees, along with Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas, as well as this year’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Honoree, Dolly Parton.
Tom Cruise’s Achievements
Cruise’s star power, stunt work, and dedication to the film industry have kept him in the spotlight for decades. He played a major role in the pandemic-era blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, which opened in the spring of 2022 and grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide. Some of his notable films include Mission: Impossible – The Last Billing, A Few Good Men, Interview with the Vampire, Risky Business, Tropic Thunder, and Eyes Wide Shut. Cruise has received several Oscar nominations, including Lead Actor nominations for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, as well as a Supporting Actor nod for Magnolia and a Best Picture nomination as a producer for Top Gun: Maverick.
Honorary Award Recipients
Veteran Oscar ceremony choreographer and producer Debbie Allen will also receive an honorary award. Allen is known for her work on films such as Fame, A Beautiful Mind, and Malcolm X. The honorary award recognizes "extraordinary lifetime achievement, extraordinary contributions to the arts and sciences, or outstanding service to the Academy".
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is also an Oscar statuette and is presented to Hollywood figures who are known for "promoting human well-being and fighting inequalities". Dolly Parton, this year’s recipient, has several non-profit and philanthropic organizations, including the Dollywood Foundation, which aims to inspire children in her home state of Tennessee to achieve educational success, and the literacy program Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Dolly Parton’s Achievements
In addition to her extensive music career, Parton has played leading roles in films such as Nine to Five and Steel Magnolias, and has earned two Original Song Oscar nominations for Nine to Five and Travelin’ Thru from Transamerica. Her humanitarian work and contributions to the film industry make her a well-deserved recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
