Last year, Tom Cruise, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas accepted Honorary Oscars at a star-studded ceremony in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is looking for suggestions for the 2026 Governors Awards.
On April 3, the organization encouraged its 10,000-plus voting members to confidentially nominate worthy recipients. The official honorees are expected to be announced in June, with the ceremony taking place in November, per recent tradition.
Voters can submit up to five candidates for consideration across the following three categories:
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award: This award shall be given to a creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production.
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: This award shall be given to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities.
Honorary Award: This award shall be given to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences of any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy.
No more than four Governors Awards may be presented in a given year, including no more than one Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and one Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Governors Awards are not awarded posthumously, and current members of the Academy Board of Governors are not eligible. Additionally, no individual may receive the same award more than once.
Last year, Tom Cruise, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas accepted Honorary Oscars at a star-studded ceremony at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood; Dolly Parton was also honored, but did not attend due to health reasons.
Which stars might make the cut this year?
Notable actors over the age of 60 who have received Oscar nominations but never taken home a statuette include Annette Bening, Glenn Close, Catherine Deneuve, Johnny Depp, Bruce Dern, Harrison Ford, Isabelle Huppert, Michael Keaton, Ian McKellen, Bette Midler, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Lily Tomlin, Sigourney Weaver, and Alfre Woodard.
There are also those performers who have not yet been nominated for an Academy Award, but still would be worthy, including Ellen Barkin, Carol Burnett, Billy Crystal, Mia Farrow, Pam Grier, Andie MacDowell, Meg Ryan, Martin Sheen, and Bruce Willis.
Non-actors in the film industry to keep an eye on include Tim Burton, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, Stephen Daldry, Lee Daniels, Brian De Palma, Danny Elfman, Jack Fisk, Werner Herzog, Lawrence Kasdan, Mike Leigh, Thomas Newman, Ridley Scott, and John Waters.
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