Only three other animators have ever been tapped for an honorary award: Walter Lantz, Chuck Jones, and Hayao Miyazaki, all titans of the field
At 90 years old, Floyd Norman is finally getting his flowers from Hollywood’s highest institution.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that its Board of Governors has voted to present Norman with an Academy Honorary Award at the 17th annual Governors Awards, taking place Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood. He joins actor Glenn Close and director Ridley Scott as Honorary Award recipients, while producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
Norman began his career at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1956, becoming the studio’s first Black animator. His first feature was Sleeping Beauty, and over the decades his work touched some of the most beloved films in the Disney canon, including The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and Robin Hood. His contributions to short films include Donald in Mathmagic Land, Goliath II, and Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. His career continued well into the modern era with credits on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Toy Story 2, and Monsters, Inc., a testament to a legacy that bridged Disney’s golden age and the Pixar era.
Beyond his work on screen, Norman became widely celebrated as a mentor, historian, and fierce advocate for the art of animation. The Walt Disney Company named him a Disney Legend in 2007, and he was the subject of a 2016 documentary, Floyd Norman: An Animated Life.
“Floyd Norman is the legendary animator who has broken barriers and inspired generations of artists over his remarkable career,” Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a statement.
The honor places Norman in rare company. Only three other animators have ever received an honorary Oscar: Walter Lantz, Chuck Jones, and Hayao Miyazaki.
The 17th Governors Awards take place November 15, 2026, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood, presented in partnership with Rolex.