Tom Cruise to Receive Honorary Oscar at 2025 Governors Awards: 'A Committed Advocate of the Theatrical Experience'

Jeff Spicer/Getty; FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty

Tom Cruise in London on May 15, 2025; Oscar statuette

NEED TO KNOW

·      Tom Cruise will receive an Academy Honorary Award ahead of the 2026 Oscars, during the 2025 Governors Awards this November

·      Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas will also receive the award, while Dolly Parton will be honored with this year's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

·      "The Academy’s Board of Governors is honored to recognize these brilliant artists," said Academy President Janet Yang in a statement

Tom Cruise is being honored in a big way at the 2025 Governors Awards.

The Top Gun: Maverick actor, who has been nominated at the Oscars four times during his career, will received an Academy Honorary Award at the event on Nov. 16, alongside Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas, per a release.

Dolly Parton will also be among the evening's honorees inside the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

"One of the most recognized and highest-grossing actors of all time, Cruise has been a committed advocate of the theatrical experience, and he helped to usher the industry through a challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic," reads the release.

Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)

Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)

Calling out some of the memorable installments in the 62-year-old actor's decades-long filmography — like Risky Business (1983), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996) and the Mission: Impossible franchise — the release notes how Cruise is known for "showcasing a deep commitment to his craft," which includes "performing all of his own stunts."

The release also chronicles the accomplishments of Thomas, Allen, 75, and Parton, 79, with Academy President Janet Yang saying in a statement, "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."

Yang continued, "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," she added, concluding, "And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft.”

Dolly Parton, Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post, Wynn Thomas

From L: Dolly Parton, Wynn Thomas and Debbie Allen

The 2026 Oscars will be hosted by Conan O'Brien, who is returning for the second year in a row after hosting the 97th ceremony earlier this year.

“The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” O'Brien, 62, joked in a March press release, referring to Brody's record-breaking acceptance speech that he delivered after winning Best Actor this year.

Preliminary voting for the 98th Academy Awards begins in December, with the nominations announcement scheduled for Jan. 22, 2026.

The 98th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026.