Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton Receive 2025 Honorary Oscars

Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas have been selected to receive honorary Oscars at the 2025 Governors Awards on November 16, recognizing their lifetime achievements and contributions to the film industry. Tom Cruise, despite four previous Oscar nominations, will receive his first Oscar for his extensive work in films like Top Gun and Mission: Impossible and for his dedication to the theatrical and stunts communities. Dolly Parton will be honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable work, notably her Imagination Library which has distributed nearly 285 million books to children worldwide. Debbie Allen is recognized for her multifaceted career as an actor, choreographer, and director, including choreographing the Academy Awards ceremony seven times. Wynn Thomas is celebrated for his influential production design work on Spike Lee films and other notable movies such as Hidden Figures and King Richard. Academy President Janet Yang praised all four honorees for their extraordinary careers and lasting impact on filmmaking.