Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton Among Honorees for 2025 Governors Awards

Los Angeles: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that Tom Cruise, Debbie Allen, Wynn Thomas, and Dolly Parton will be honored at this year’s 16th annual Governors Awards, to be held on November 16 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Ovation Hollywood. Tom Cruise, one of the most iconic figures in global cinema, will receive an Honorary Oscar for his outstanding contributions to the film industry. Known for his dedication to the theatrical experience and performing his own stunts, Cruise has earned three Oscar nominations for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia. Debbie Allen, acclaimed dancer, actress, producer, and choreographer, will also receive an Honorary Oscar. A key figure in the entertainment industry for decades, Allen has choreographed the Oscars seven times and appeared in films such as Ragtime, Fame, and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling. Wynn Thomas, a pioneering African American production designer, will be honored for his remarkable body of work on influential films including Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, A Beautiful Mind, and Hidden Figures. Dolly Parton will receive the prestigious Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which comes with an Oscar statuette. The country music legend and two-time Oscar nominee is being recognized for her decades of philanthropic work, particularly through her Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, which have distributed millions of books to children worldwide. The Governors Awards celebrate lifetime achievement and humanitarian efforts in the film industry and are considered one of the most significant events leading up to the Academy Awards.