“This year’s Governors Awards will honor four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our film community continue to have a lasting impact,” stated Academy President Janet Yang in a statement.
The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is awarded to honor extraordinary distinctions for lifetime achievements, exceptional contributions to the state of the motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or exceptional service to the Academy.
The four Oscar statuettes will be presented at the 16th edition of the Academy’s Governors Awards on Sunday, November 16, 2025, in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Debbie Allen “is a pioneering choreographer and actress whose work has captivated generations and crossed genres,” the Academy said.
With nearly five decades of experience in Hollywood, Allen has choreographed the Oscars ceremony seven times, in addition to films such as “Forget Paris,” “A Jazzman’s Blues,” and “The Six Triple Eight.”
As a producer, she worked on “Amistad” and “The Old Settler,” and as an actress in “Fame,” “Ragtime,” and “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling.”
Concerning Tom Cruise, the Academy highlighted his “incredible commitment to the film community, theatrical experience, and the stunt community.”
Cruise, “one of the most recognized and highest-grossing actors of all time,” has been a “dedicated advocate of the theatrical experience and helped the industry overcome a challenging period during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the Academy.
His extensive body of work includes Oscar-nominated roles in “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Jerry Maguire,” and “Magnolia,” as well as “Top Gun: Maverick,” for which he received a nomination for Best Picture as a producer.
“Beloved artist Dolly Parton exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award through her steadfast dedication to charitable initiatives,” the Academy noted.
Dolly Parton, with a career spanning seven decades, has 49 studio albums and more than 100 million records sold worldwide, also starring in films like “Nine to Five” and “Steel Magnolias.”
She received two Oscar nominations in the Original Song category for “Nine to Five” and “Travelin’ Thru” from “Transamerica.”
“With this Governors Award, a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, Parton will be recognized for her decades-long humanitarian efforts. She founded several charitable and philanthropic organizations, including the Dollywood Foundation, established in 1988 to inspire children in eastern Tennessee—her home state—to achieve educational success,” the Academy stated.
The Academy also highlighted the music star’s literacy program, “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” launched in 1995 in honor of her father, which has provided 285 million books to children.
Production designer Wynn Thomas, the Academy asserts, “brought to life some of the most significant films with a visionary eye and mastery of his craft.”
Thomas began his career working on Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It,” which would be the first of several collaborations between them.
His film credits include other Lee films such as “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X,” and “Da 5 Bloods.”
