Tom Cruise receives honorary Oscar at Governors Awards 2025

Hollywood star Tom Cruise was presented with an Honorary Oscar at the Academy Governors Awards by director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

Other recipients included choreographer-actress Debbie Allen, production designer Wynn Thomas, and singer-humanitarian Dolly Parton.

Accepting the award, Cruise said, “Cinema has taken me around the world, showing the beauty of our differences and the connections we share. Wherever we come from, in a theater we laugh, cry, and feel together. This is the power of the art.”

Recalling his childhood, he added, “The projector’s light in the cinema opened up a big world for me—new cultures, people, and stories. It sparked my imagination.”

The ceremony, a highlight of the awards season, saw attendance from stars including Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Emma Stone, Michael B. Jordan, and Sydney Sweeney.

Cruise is currently starring in a film directed by Iñárritu, set to release in October 2026.