After more than four decades in filmmaking and four previous nominations, Tom Cruise has finally won an Academy Award. The actor received an honorary Oscar at the 16th Governors Awards on November 16, 2025, in a ceremony held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood. He was one of four honorees celebrated for their lasting impact on the motion picture industry.
The Emotional Acceptance Speech
During his acceptance, Tom Cruise delivered a powerful speech that reflected on his lifelong passion for cinema. He spoke about the unifying power of movies and their profound effect on his life.
“Making films is not what I do, it is who I am,” Cruise told the audience. He described cinema as a force that helps him “appear and respect differences” and shows “our shared humanity.” He emphasized the communal experience of watching films, stating, “No matter where we come from, in that theater, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, and that is the power of this art form.”
He concluded with a promise to the industry: “I want you to know that I will do everything I can for this art form, to support and champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful. Hopefully without too many more broken bones.”
A Childhood Spark Ignited
Cruise traced his love for movies back to his early childhood, sharing a vivid memory of the moment he first fell in love with the cinema.
“My love for cinema began at a very early age, as early as I can remember,” he said. “I was just a little kid in a darkened theater, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room… Suddenly, the world was so much larger than the one that I knew.” He explained that this experience “sparked a hunger for adventure” and “opened my imagination to the possibility that life could expand far beyond the boundaries that I then perceived in my own life.” He said he has been “following it ever since.”
The Presenter and the Honor
The honorary award was presented by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is currently directing Cruise in an upcoming, untitled film set for release in October 2026. Iñárritu praised the actor, declaring, “Tom Cruise doesn’t just make movies, he is movies,” and added, “This may be his first Oscar, but from what I have seen and experienced, it will not be his last.”
The award recognizes Cruise’s extraordinary body of work and his dedication to the theatrical experience. Before this honor, he had been nominated for four Oscars: Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, Best Supporting Actor for Magnolia, and Best Picture as a producer for Top Gun: Maverick.
A Room Full of Support
The event was attended by a host of Hollywood stars and many of Cruise’s longtime collaborators. The audience included Steven Spielberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Christopher McQuarrie, all of whom stood up when Cruise asked everyone in the room who had worked with him to rise. He emotionally acknowledged them, saying, “I carry you with me — each of you — and you are a part of every frame of every film that I have ever made or ever will make.”
Other Honorees of the Night
The Governors Awards also celebrated the achievements of three other film industry figures.
- Dolly Parton received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work, including her efforts through The Dollywood Foundation and the Imagination Library. Unable to attend in person due to health issues, she accepted the award via a pre-recorded video message from Nashville.
- Debbie Allen was honored with an honorary Oscar for her groundbreaking work as a choreographer, actor, and director. In her speech, she thanked her parents for raising her to believe she could overcome any boundary.
- Wynn Thomas, a pioneering production designer, received an honorary Oscar for his work on films like She’s Gotta Have It and Hidden Figures. He was the first Black production designer to join the Art Directors Guild.
The non-televised ceremony served as a major gathering for the film industry, with attendees including Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sydney Sweeney, and Ariana Grande.
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