Tom Cruise is finally getting an Oscar (of the Honorary variety)

Debbie Allen, Dolly Parton, and production designer Wynn Thomas will also be honored at this year's Governors Awards.

By Mary Kate Carr  |  June 17, 2025 | 4:44pm
Photo: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Film News Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise is finally getting an Oscar (of the Honorary variety)

They’re finally giving Tom Cruise an Oscar, albeit an honorary one. A four-time Academy Award nominee (thrice as an actor, once as a producer on Best Picture nom Top Gun: Maverick), Cruise will be presented with his Honorary statuette at the Governors Awards in November, according to an Academy press release. Though it’s not for any particular achievement, Honorary Awards are granted “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy.” As one of the most prominent champions of the theatrical experience (earning him the nickname “President of Movies” in some circles), no one can argue that Cruise doesn’t fit that description. 

Additional honorees this year include production designer Wynn Thomas (who has worked with the likes of Spike Lee and Ron Howard); actor, producer, and choreographer Debbie Allen; and actor, producer, and singer Dolly Parton, who is being recognized with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. “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,” Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. “The Academy’s Board of Governors is honored to recognize these brilliant artists. Debbie Allen is a trailblazing choreographer and actor, whose work has captivated generations and crossed genres. Tom Cruise’s incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community has inspired us all. Beloved performer Dolly Parton exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award through her unwavering dedication to charitable efforts. And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft.”

Honorary Oscars tend to be given out to older stars and craftspeople, especially ones widely recognized as excellent but never awarded an actual Oscar. Examples include Angela Lansbury, Donald Sutherland, Gena Rowlands, and Cicely Tyson (16-time nominee Diane Warren was finally given an Honorary statuette in 2022). With some of our contemporary honorees like Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, and Cruise, you just hope the Honorary Award doesn’t preclude them from winning competitive Oscars in the future. Cruise’s Honorary Award does line up nicely with this year’s introduction of a stunt design category to the main ceremony (as Yang notes, he’s been a big proponent of that particular art form). Still, he’s got an Alejandro Iñárritu film coming up, so it would be a shame to write him off as an also-ran when he clearly has plenty of juice left in his career. 

 
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