Hollywood legend Tom Cruise will be honored with an Honorary Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences later this year, in recognition of his extensive and impactful contributions to cinema.

The prestigious accolade will be presented during the 16th Governors Awards, scheduled for November 16, 2025, at Ovation Hollywood. Cruise will be recognized alongside fellow honorees Debbie Allen, Wynn Thomas, and Dolly Parton. These honors stand apart from the televised Academy Awards in March and are given for lifetime achievements and exceptional service to the film industry.

A Four-Decade Legacy

Tom Cruise will be getting a honorary Oscar this year.

The Academy is giving him the Oscar for his “commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community” pic.twitter.com/54pEYXYI6L

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 17, 2025

Tom Cruise, now 62, has been a mainstay in the industry since the early 1980s. Over the years, he has become one of Hollywood’s most bankable and versatile stars. Despite four Academy Award nominations—three for acting (Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, Magnolia) and one as producer of Top Gun: Maverick—he has yet to win a competitive Oscar.

Cruise’s commitment to traditional theatrical releases and his high-octane performances have helped maintain box office momentum, especially after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. His work in Top Gun: Maverick was widely credited with helping reinvigorate cinema attendance on a global scale.

Academy President Janet Yang praised the honorees for their enduring influence:

“We are recognizing individuals whose exceptional careers and dedication to our filmmaking community continue to make their mark.”

What Is the Honorary Oscar?

The mindset that built Tom Cruise’s $600 million empire. pic.twitter.com/KIrSJZQ5aX

— Mindset Machine  (@Mindset_Machine) June 14, 2025

The Honorary Award is one of the Academy’s highest distinctions, reserved for individuals who have made extraordinary lifetime contributions to cinema. Though not tied to a single year’s body of work, recipients receive the same iconic Oscar statuette awarded in competitive categories.

Since 2009, the Honorary Oscars have been presented at the Governors Awards—an intimate event celebrating industry veterans whose careers transcend traditional awards season narratives.

Notable past recipients include Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Steve Martin, Judy Garland, and Spike Lee.

An Icon Both On and Off Screen

Cruise’s resume includes critically and commercially successful films such as Top Gun, Rain Man, The Firm, and the ongoing Mission: Impossible series. Beyond acting, he is deeply involved in production and is known for his intense dedication to authenticity—performing many of his own stunts, from hanging off planes to high-speed chases.

This hands-on approach has made Cruise a symbol of action cinema and a driving force in blockbuster filmmaking.

Fellow Honorees at the 2025 Governors Awards

Presenting the 16th annual Governors Awards honorees:

• Debbie Allen
• Tom Cruise
• Wynn Thomas
• Dolly Parton (Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award)

The 16th annual Governors Awards will be held on November 16, 2025. pic.twitter.com/V8UFtJE2LB

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 17, 2025

• Debbie Allen will also receive an Honorary Oscar, recognizing her five-decade career as a choreographer, director, producer, and actress. She has choreographed the Oscars ceremony seven times.

• Wynn Thomas, known for his production design on films such as Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X, will be honored for his powerful contributions to cinematic storytelling.

• Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her global philanthropic work, particularly the Imagination Library, which has distributed nearly 285 million books to children worldwide. She has also received two Oscar nominations for Best Original Song.

The 2025 Governors Awards promises to be a celebration of enduring talent, innovation, and humanitarian impact, with Tom Cruise taking center stage as one of cinema’s most enduring icons.