The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas will be honored with Academy Honorary Awards at the 16th annual Governors Awards, taking place November 16, 2025, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood. Tom Cruise will also receive an Honorary Oscar, while Dolly Parton is set to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Academy President Janet Yang praised the honorees, calling them “legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our filmmaking community continue to leave a lasting impact.” Allen and Thomas, in particular, represent decades of pioneering work across disciplines that have shaped the film and television landscape.
Debbie Allen: A Force Across Dance, Film, and Television
For nearly five decades, Debbie Allen has been a creative force as an actor, choreographer, producer, and director. She rose to fame as Lydia Grant in the iconic film Fame, later reprising the role and choreographing its television adaptation. Her behind-the-scenes influence extends even further — from producing historical dramas like Amistad to choreographing seven Academy Awards telecasts, Allen’s reach spans genres and mediums.
A tireless advocate for arts education, Allen founded the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles, mentoring the next generation of dancers and performers. With five Emmy wins and 21 nominations, she’s also a Kennedy Center honoree, a National Medal of Arts recipient, and a member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
This Honorary Oscar marks a new chapter in recognizing Allen’s expansive and lasting impact on both stage and screen.
Wynn Thomas: Visionary Behind the Visuals
Wynn Thomas will be honored for a production design career that has brought cultural classics and Oscar winners alike to life. As the longtime collaborator of director Spike Lee, Thomas helped shape the look and feel of seminal films including She’s Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Da 5 Bloods.
Outside of his work with Lee, Thomas designed sets for A Beautiful Mind, Hidden Figures, Cinderella Man, and Analyze This, collaborating with directors such as Ron Howard, Francis Ford Coppola, and Robert De Niro.
A trailblazer in his own right, Thomas was the first Black production designer to join the Art Directors Guild, where he later earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. He also served on the Academy’s Board of Governors for six years and was Vice President from 2020–2023, helping expand educational outreach efforts.
About the Awards
The Academy Honorary Award is given to recognize “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy.” It is awarded in the form of an Oscar statuette.
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, also presented as an Oscar statuette, is awarded “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.”
This year’s awards mark a celebration of legacy, innovation, and service — both on screen and behind the scenes. For Allen and Thomas, the honors affirm decades of excellence in storytelling, artistry, and cultural influence that continue to resonate in Hollywood and beyond.