Action movie star Tom Cruise and singer and actress Dolly Parton are among the celebrities who will receive honorary Oscars to highlight their work as artists, according to the Academy Award’s website.
In addition, actress and dancer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas will also be given a statuette during the Academy’s 16th Governors Awards event on 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 filming community continue to leave a lasting impact,” Academy President Janet Yang wrote in a statement. “The Academy’s Board of Governors is honored to recognize these brilliant artists.”
Cruise is being recognized as one of the “highest-grossing actors of all time,” who has performed his own stunts and has been an Oscar nominee for his roles in “Born on the Fourth of July, “Jerry Maguire,” “Magnolia” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” for which he earned a Best Picture nomination as producer, the statement reads.
Tom Cruise poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ on Thursday, May 15, 2025, in London. (Photo by Alberto Pezzali/Invision/AP)Alberto Pezzali/Invision/AP
Parton is known as “an international icon whose remarkable career spans seven decades,” as she’s created 49 studio albums and over 100 million records that have been sold worldwide.
Parton has also starred in films like “Nine to Five” and “Travelin’ Thru.” She will also be recognized for her “decades-long humanitarian efforts,” as she’s helped found 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.”
As an acclaimed production designer, Thomas began his career working on Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X,” and “Da 5 Bloods.” Thomas has also received credit for his work in “A Beautiful Mind,” “Cinderella Man” and “Hidden Figures.”
Allen has been on the screen for nearly five decades as a choreographer, actor and producer, according to the the Academy Award’s press release. She has choreographed the Academy Awards ceremony seven times, as well as films like “Forget Paris,” “A Jazzman’s Blues” and “The Six Triple Eight.”
