Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas will receive Honors Academy Awards at the 2025 Governor’s Awards, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Tuesday.
Cruise, Allen and Thomas will receive Academy honorary awards, while Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Prices were voted by the Academy’s Board of Directors, who choose up to four governors assign recipients each year. In a statement that announced this year’s election, Academy President Janet Yang said: “Debbie Allen is a trailblazing choreographer and actor, whose work has imprisoned generations and crossed genres. Tom Cruise’s incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to Stunt’s Community has inspired us all. The dividend, and to Stunts Community has inspired us all. Awolary Awolary Awardyry Allage Achage Achage her unwavering commitment to charity. And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the most permanent films to life through a visionary eye and master his craftsmanship. “
Allen is a choreographer, actress, director and producer whose films include “The Six Triple Eight”, “Fame”, “Ragtime” and “Jo Jo Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Calls.” She also choreographed dance routines at the Academy Awards ten times, mostly in the 1990s for producer Gil Cates.
Cruise is one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars, but he has only been nominated for three actors Oscars, none of them over the past 24 years. He was nominated for best actor for “Born July Fourth” 1990 and “Jerry Maguire” in 1997 and for best support actors for “Magnolia” in 2000. In recent years he has focused on action films such as “Mission: Impossible” series. He was nominated for best image as one of the producers of 2023 nominated “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Parton is a country music icon whose work in film includes “9 to 5”, “Steel Magnolias” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Her philanthropic work includes the Dollywood Foundation and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which aims to help educate the children in East Tennessee.
Thomas is a production designer whose films include “She’s Gotta have it”, “Do the right thing”, “Malcolm X”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “Hidden Figures.” He is also a long -term governor at the academy, although he is currently not on the board. (Sitting board members are not eligible for governors.) Thomas is just the second production designer or the art director who receives the award, after Robert F. Boyle 2007.
Honorary recipients are elected every year at the last meeting of the current Board’s Board of Directors. A new board (largely but not entirely consisting of existing members) will be announced shortly.
The 16th annual governors will take place on November 16 in Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
