Los Angeles: Tom Cruise has spent more than 40 years in Hollywood, building a career filled with blockbuster hits, global fame, and four Oscar nominations. Yet he had never won an Academy Award- a long-running surprise for many movie fans. That changed on November 16, when the 63-year-old star received an Academy Honorary Award at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles.
Cruise was honoured by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, with whom he is currently working on a new project set for release in October 2026. The night became even more memorable when Cruise delivered an emotional speech, thanking the people who shaped his journey and speaking warmly about what cinema has meant to him.
He said his love for films began when he was a young boy sitting in a dark theatre, watching worlds unfold in front of him. Those early experiences, he recalled, sparked his curiosity, his imagination, and a desire to understand people and places beyond his own life. He described cinema as an art form that brings people together, allowing audiences to laugh, feel, and hope as one.
At tonight’s 16th Governors Awards, the Academy is proud to honor four cinematic visionaries whose artistry has defined generations and continues to shape the future of film.
• Debbie Allen
• Tom Cruise
• Wynn Thomas
• Dolly PartonDebbie Allen, Tom Cruise, and Wynn… pic.twitter.com/pqjLheINsU
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) November 16, 2025
Cruise reflected on how movies have taken him around the world and taught him to appreciate different cultures, adding that filmmaking is not just a profession for him but a defining part of who he is.
Over the decades, Cruise has earned praise for his performances in Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia, and for producing Top Gun: Maverick. Though he never won a competitive Oscar, the honorary award marks a significant moment in his career and recognises his immense impact on global cinema.
The Governors Awards is an annual ceremony where the Academy’s Board of Governors presents special honours, including the Thalberg Award, the Humanitarian Award, and the Honorary Award. The event is held as a separate gala, with key moments later featured during the main Oscars broadcast.
