Academy honours Hollywood icons after decades of acclaim

Glenn Close, Ridley Scott and Floyd Norman are to receive Honorary Oscars at this year’s Governors Awards.

Veteran independent film producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler also set to be honoured by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Academy announced Glenn, Ridley and Disney’s first black animator Floyd will be presented with Honorary Awards, while Christine and Pamela will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the 17th Governors Awards on 15 November at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood.

The honours were approved by the Academy’s Board of Governors and recognise careers that have had a significant impact on filmmaking.

Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor said: “The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to present this year’s Governors Awards to five remarkable individuals whose groundbreaking work has forever shaped the art of filmmaking. “Throughout her extraordinary body of work, Glenn Close’s unparalleled emotional range has brought to life some of the most complex characters in cinema.

“Floyd Norman is the legendary animator who has broken barriers and inspired generations of artists over his remarkable career.

“Sir Ridley Scott is a true visionary whose decades-long legacy has left an immeasurable impact on global cinema and culture.

“Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler play a central role in American independent cinema, championing bold, ambitious and distinctive storytelling.”

For Glenn, the award arrives after one of the most discussed Oscar records in modern Hollywood.

The actress has received eight Academy Award nominations without securing a competitive win, tying the late Peter O’Toole for the most acting nominations without a victory.

Her nominations span films including The World According to Garp, Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs, The Wife and Hillbilly Elegy.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Glenn has become one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed performers, earning praise for roles in films including The Big Chill, The Natural, 101 Dalmatians and Air Force One.

She most recently appeared in Ryan Murphy’s Hulu legal drama All’s Fair and is due to appear in the forthcoming Netflix-backed drama La Bola Negra as well as The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

Ridley’s honour recognises a filmmaking career that has shaped multiple generations of cinema fans.

The British director is best known for classics including Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator, with the latter winning the Oscar for best picture in 2001.

Despite receiving Academy Award nominations for Thelma and Louise, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, Ridley has never won a competitive Oscar.

Following the release of Napoleon and the recent return to the Gladiator franchise with Gladiator II, Ridley is preparing his next feature, an adaptation of The Dog Stars starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin.

In 2024, he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross for services to the British film industry.

Floyd’s award recognises a groundbreaking career that began at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1956, where he became Disney’s first black animator.

His work helped bring classics including Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book and Robin Hood to the screen.

Across a career spanning more than six decades, Floyd also contributed to later hits including Mulan, Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc.

His influence has been widely credited with helping open doors for future generations of animators from underrepresented backgrounds.

Christine and Pamela, meanwhile, are being recognised for their impact on American independent cinema through their production company Killer Films, which they founded in New York in 1995.

Their projects have included Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Boys Don’t Cry, Far from Heaven, Carol, May December and Materialists.

The pair were nominated for best picture at the 2024 Academy Awards for Celine Song’s Past Lives, one of the most acclaimed independent films of recent years.

Their collaborations with filmmaker Todd Haynes on films including Safe, Velvet Goldmine and I’m Not There helped establish Killer Films as one of the most influential forces in contemporary independent cinema.

The Academy’s Honorary Award is presented for “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy”.

The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award recognises creative producers whose body of work reflects a consistently high standard of motion picture production.