Tom Cruise will finally receive his first Oscar statuette after decades in Hollywood, as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday that the action star will be honored with an Academy Honorary Award at the 2025 Governors Awards.

The ceremony will take place on November 16 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. It will also see three other entertainment legends receiving recognition at the same ceremony—country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, while choreographer-actress-producer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas will also receive Academy Honorary Awards.

"This year's Governors Awards will celebrate four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our filmmaking community continue to leave a lasting impact," Janet Yang, Academy President, said in a statement.

The 62-year-old Cruise has been nominated for four Oscars throughout his career but never won a competitive award. His nominations include two for Best Actor in "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Jerry Maguire," one for Best Supporting Actor in "Magnolia," and one for Best Picture as a producer of "Top Gun: Maverick." His first nomination came 25 years ago, making this long-awaited recognition particularly significant. The actor is widely known for performing his own dangerous stunts and for championing the theatrical movie experience during challenging times for the industry.

Parton, who has received two Oscar nominations for Best Original Song for "9 to 5" and "Transamerica," will be recognized specifically for her humanitarian efforts. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award acknowledges her decades of charitable work, including the Dollywood Foundation and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which has distributed approximately 285 million books to children.

Allen, a multi-talented performer who has never received an Oscar nomination, has choreographed the Academy Awards ceremony seven times throughout her career. Her film credits include "Fame," "Ragtime," and "The Six Triple Eight". Thomas, a frequent collaborator with director Spike Lee, has worked on acclaimed films including "She's Gotta Have It," "Do the Right Thing," "Malcolm X," and the Best Picture winner "A Beautiful Mind."

The Academy's Board of Governors voted to select these four recipients from among 55 governors who served during the 2024-2025 term. The ceremony will precede the main Academy Awards, which is scheduled for March 2, 2025.

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Tom Cruise, Hollywood, Actor