The Honorary Oscar, officially known as the Academy Honorary Award, is a prestigious accolade presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the film industry. While not given for a specific achievement in a single film, this award recognizes a lifetime of outstanding work, innovation, and dedication.
Established in 1928 by the Academy's board of governors, the Honorary Oscar was initially introduced to honor recipients for their extraordinary achievements that might not fit the traditional categories of competitive Oscars. Over the years, it has become a highly regarded symbol of recognition within the film community.
Recipients of the Honorary Oscar are often veteran actors, directors, producers, or individuals who have made significant advancements in filmmaking technology. They are chosen based on their overall body of work, influence, and lasting impact on the cinematic world. The presentation of the Honorary Oscar takes place during the annual Governors Awards ceremony, a separate event from the main Oscars telecast.
Notable Honorary Oscar recipients include legends like Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, and Audrey Hepburn. These luminaries received the award in acknowledgment of their invaluable contributions to the art of filmmaking.
The Honorary Oscar is a symbol of the Academy's recognition of the diverse talents that contribute to the magic of cinema. It celebrates the visionaries, pioneers, and artists who have left an indelible mark on the film industry, reminding us that excellence in film extends beyond the boundaries of on-screen performances and behind-the-scenes craftsmanship.
In a world where the cinematic landscape is constantly evolving, the Honorary Oscar stands as a timeless tribute to those whose passion, creativity, and dedication have enriched our lives through the power of storytelling on the silver screen. It is a testament to the enduring spirit of cinema and a reminder of the profound impact it has on our culture and collective imagination.
Here is a list of Academy Honorary Award recipients along with the year they received the award:
|
Year |
Recipient |
|
1927/1928 |
Warner Bros. |
|
Charlie Chaplin |
|
|
1934 |
Shirley Temple |
|
1936 |
March of Time |
|
W. Howard Greene and Harold Rosson |
|
|
1937 |
Edgar Bergen |
|
W. Howard Greene |
|
|
Museum of Modern Art Film Library |
|
|
Mack Sennett |
|
|
1938 |
J. Arthur Ball |
|
Walt Disney |
|
|
Deanna Durbin and Mickey Rooney |
|
|
Gordon Jennings, Jan Domela, Devereaux Jennings, Irmin Roberts, Art Smith, Farciot Edouart, Loyal Griggs, Loren L. Ryder, Harry D. Mills, Louis Mesenkop, Walter Oberst |
|
|
Oliver T. Marsh and Allen Davey |
|
|
Harry Warner |
|
|
1939 |
Douglas Fairbanks |
|
Judy Garland |
|
|
William Cameron Menzies |
|
|
Motion Picture Relief Fund |
|
|
Technicolor USA |
|
|
1940 |
Bob Hope |
|
Nathan Levinson |
|
|
1941 |
Walt Disney, William Garity, John N. A. Hawkins, and the RCA Manufacturing Company |
|
Leopold Stokowski and his associates |
|
|
Rey Scott |
|
|
British Ministry of Information |
|
|
1942 |
Charles Boyer |
|
Noël Coward |
|
|
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
|
|
1943 |
George Pal |
|
1944 |
Bob Hope |
|
Margaret O'Brien |
|
|
1945 |
Republic Studio, Daniel J. Bloomberg and the Republic Studio Sound Department |
|
Walter Wanger |
|
|
The House I Live In |
|
|
Peggy Ann Garner |
|
|
1946 |
Harold Russell |
|
Laurence Olivier |
|
|
Ernst Lubitsch |
|
|
Claude Jarman Jr. |
|
|
1947 |
James Baskett |
|
Thomas Armat, Colonel William N. Selig, Albert E. Smith, and George Kirke Spoor |
|
|
Bill and Coo |
|
|
Shoe-Shine (Italian: Sciuscià) |
|
|
1948 |
Walter Wanger |
|
Monsieur Vincent |
|
|
Sid Grauman |
|
|
Adolph Zukor |
|
|
1949 |
Jean Hersholt |
|
Fred Astaire |
|
|
Cecil B. DeMille |
|
|
The Bicycle Thief (Italian: Ladri di biciclette) |
|
|
1950 |
Louis B. Mayer |
|
George Murphy |
|
|
The Walls of Malapaga (Italian: Le mura di Malapaga, French: Au-delà des grilles) |
|
|
1951 |
Gene Kelly |
|
Rashomon |
|
|
1952 |
Merian C. Cooper |
|
Bob Hope |
|
|
Harold Lloyd |
|
|
George Mitchell |
|
|
Joseph M. Schenck |
|
|
Forbidden Games (French: Jeux interdits) |
|
|
1953 |
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation |
|
Bell and Howell Company |
|
|
Joseph Breen |
|
|
Pete Smith |
|
|
1954 |
Bausch & Lomb Optical Company |
|
Danny Kaye |
|
|
Kemp Niver |
|
|
Greta Garbo |
|
|
Jon Whiteley |
|
|
Vincent Winter |
|
|
Gate of Hell (Japanese: Jigokumon) |
|
|
1955 |
Samurai, The Legend of Musashi |
|
1956 |
Eddie Cantor |
|
1957 |
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) |
|
Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson |
|
|
Charles Brackett |
|
|
B. B. Kahane |
|
|
1958 |
Maurice Chevalier |
|
1959 |
Buster Keaton |
|
Lee de Forest |
|
|
1960 |
Gary Cooper |
|
Stan Laurel |
|
|
Hayley Mills |
|
|
1961 |
William L. Hendricks |
|
Fred L. Metzler |
|
|
Jerome Robbins |
|
|
1964 |
William J. Tuttle |
|
1965 |
Bob Hope |
|
1966 |
Yakima Canutt |
|
Y. Frank Freeman |
|
|
1967 |
Arthur Freed |
|
1968 |
John Chambers |
|
Onna White |
|
|
1969 |
Cary Grant |
|
1970 |
Lillian Gish |
|
Orson Welles |
|
|
1971 |
Charles Chaplin |
|
1972 |
Charles S. Boren |
|
Edward G. Robinson |
|
|
(Posthumous) |
|
|
1973 |
Henri Langlois |
|
Groucho Marx |
|
|
1974 |
Howard Hawks |
|
Jean Renoir |
|
|
1975 |
Mary Pickford |
|
1977 |
Margaret Booth |
|
1978 |
Walter Lantz |
|
Laurence Olivier |
|
|
King Vidor |
|
|
Museum of Modern Art Department of Film |
|
|
1979 |
Hal Elias |
|
Sir Alec Guinness |
|
|
1980 |
Henry Fonda |
|
1981 |
Barbara Stanwyck |
|
1982 |
Mickey Rooney |
|
1983 |
Hal Roach |
|
1984 |
James Stewart |
|
The National Endowment for the Arts |
|
|
1985 |
Paul Newman |
|
Alex North |
|
|
1986 |
Ralph Bellamy |
|
1988 |
Eastman Kodak Company |
|
National Film Board of Canada |
|
|
1989 |
Akira Kurosawa |
|
1990 |
Sophia Loren |
|
Myrna Loy |
|
|
1991 |
Satyajit Ray |
|
1992 |
Federico Fellini |
|
1993 |
Deborah Kerr |
|
1994 |
Michelangelo Antonioni |
|
1995 |
Kirk Douglas |
|
Chuck Jones |
|
|
1996 |
Michael Kidd |
|
1997 |
Stanley Donen |
|
1998 |
Elia Kazan |
|
1999 |
Andrzej Wajda |
|
2001 |
Sidney Poitier |
|
Robert Redford |
|
|
2002 |
Peter O'Toole |
|
2003 |
Blake Edwards |
|
2004 |
Sidney Lumet |
|
2005 |
Robert Altman |
|
2006 |
Ennio Morricone |
|
2007 |
Robert F. Boyle |
|
2009 |
Lauren Bacall |
|
Roger Corman |
|
|
Gordon Willis |
|
|
2010 |
Kevin Brownlow |
|
Jean-Luc Godard |
|
|
Eli Wallach |
|
|
2011 |
James Earl Jones |
|
Dick Smith |
|
|
2012 |
D. A. Pennebaker |
|
Hal Needham |
|
|
George Stevens Jr. |
|
|
2013 |
Angela Lansbury |
|
Steve Martin |
|
|
Piero Tosi |
|
|
2014 |
Jean-Claude Carrière |
|
Hayao Miyazaki |
|
|
Maureen O'Hara |
|
|
2015 |
Spike Lee |
|
Gena Rowlands |
|
|
2016 |
Jackie Chan |
|
Lynn Stalmaster |
|
|
Anne V. Coates |
|
|
Frederick Wiseman |
|
|
2017 |
Charles Burnett |
|
Owen Roizman |
|
|
Donald Sutherland |
|
|
Agnès Varda |
|
|
2018 |
Marvin Levy |
|
Lalo Schifrin |
|
|
Cicely Tyson |
|
|
2019 |
David Lynch |
|
Wes Studi |
|
|
Lina Wertmüller |
|
|
2021 |
Samuel L. Jackson |
|
Elaine May |
|
|
Liv Ullmann |
|
|
2022 |
Euzhan Palcy |
|
Diane Warren |
|
|
Peter Weir |
|
|
2023 |
Angela Bassett |
|
Mel Brooks |
|
|
Carol Littleton |