After “Saving Hollywood’s Ass,” Tom Cruise to Receive Honorary Oscar This Year

Despite devoting his entire career — his entire life — to the magic of the movies, Tom Cruise has never won an Oscar. That will change in 2025, as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that Cruise will be the recipient of an honorary Academy Award at AMPAS’ 16th annual Governors Awards, to be held this November.

Also receiving honorary Oscars at the same ceremony are actress/choreographer Debbie Allen, a legend for Fame and beyond, and production designer Wynn Thomas, a frequent Spike Lee collaborator whose credits include Da 5 Bloods and Mars Attacks! Additionally, Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, well-deserved given the icon’s legendary history of philanthropy.

In a statement, outgoing Academy Awards president Janet Yang reflected on all of the announced recipients by saying: “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. And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft.”

Cruise has received four Oscar nominations over the course of his career: Twice for lead actor in the films Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, once for supporting actor in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, and once as a producer of 2022 Best Picture nominee Top Gun: Maverick. As noted by Yang’s statement, Cruise’s commitment “to the theatrical experience” is widely known — such as when he refused to let Maverick be a streaming release, leading to Steven Spielberg thanking Cruise for “saving Hollywood’s ass”.

On the big screen, Cruise is currently outrunning death in Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. His next announced project is an untitled 2026 Alejandro G. Iñárritu comedy about “the most powerful man in the world,” who “causes a disaster and embarks on a mission to prove that he is the savior of humanity.” Type-casting?