Thirty-five years after received his first Oscar nomination, he鈥檚 finally getting a trophy. It鈥檚 not for his , either. At least, not exclusively.
Cruise, choreographer Debbie Allen and 鈥淒o The Right Thing鈥� production designer Wynn Thomas have all been selected to receive honorary Oscar statuettes at the annual Governors Awards, the film academy said Tuesday. will also be recognized with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her decades-long charitable work in literacy and education.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 Governors Awards will celebrate four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our filmmaking community continue to leave a lasting impact,鈥� Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.
Most recipients of the prize historically have not yet won a competitive Oscar themselves. Cruise, 62, has been nominated four times, twice for best actor in 鈥淏orn on the Fourth of July鈥� and 鈥淛erry Maguire,鈥� once for supporting actor in 鈥淢agnolia鈥� and once for best picture with 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick.鈥� He鈥檚 also championed through the coronavirus pandemic.
Yang spotlighted Cruise鈥檚 鈥渋ncredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community.鈥�
Allen, 75, has never been nominated for an Oscar. But the multi-hyphenate entertainer 鈥� she also acts and produces 鈥� has played an integral role in the Oscars show, having choreographed seven ceremonies over the years. Four of those were nominated for prime-time Emmy awards.
A nomination had also eluded Thomas, a leading production designer whose films have often gone on to best picture nominations and even one win, for Ron Howard鈥檚 鈥淎 Beautiful Mind.鈥� Thomas is most known for his long-term collaboration with filmmaker Spike Lee, from 鈥淪he鈥檚 Gotta Have It鈥� and 鈥淢alcolm X鈥� through 鈥淒a 5 Bloods.鈥�
Parton has been nominated twice for best original song, for 鈥�9 to 5鈥� and, in 2006, 鈥淭ravelin鈥� Thru鈥� from the film 鈥淭ransamerica.鈥� But her honor celebrates her humanitarian efforts over the years, through organizations like the Dollywood Foundation and the literary program 鈥淒olly Parton鈥檚 Imagination Library.鈥�
Yang said Parton 鈥渆xemplifies the spirit鈥� of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
The awards will be handed out during an untelevised ceremony on Nov. 16 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. included the , , and .
Recipients of the prizes, which honor lifetime achievement, contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences and service to the academy are selected by the film academy鈥檚 board of governors.
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This story has been corrected to reports it's been 35 years since Tom Cruise's first Oscar nomination, not 25.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
