Key points
- Tom Cruise was awarded an Honorary Oscar for his 45-year career in cinema, recognising his dedication to the big-screen experience.
- Director Alejandro González Iñárritu presented the award, lauding Cruise’s precision and willingness to perform his own stunts.
- Cruise has previously received four competitive Oscar nominations but has never won.
- In his acceptance speech, Cruise highlighted the power of cinema to unite audiences through shared emotions.
LOS ANGELES: Tom Cruise was honoured with an Honorary Oscar at the 2025 Governors Awards for his long-standing contribution to cinema, particularly for his advocacy of the theatrical experience and his pioneering work in action films.
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu presented the award, praising Cruise’s commitment to performing physically demanding stunts, his meticulous approach to filmmaking, and his inspirational dedication to the craft.
Cruise, whose career spans more than four decades, has appeared in blockbuster franchises such as Mission: Impossible, as well as acclaimed films including Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire.
Cruise has previously received four competitive Academy Award nominations—for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, and as a producer of Top Gun: Maverick—but had never won. The Honorary Oscar recognises his lifetime achievements and exceptional service to the art and community of filmmaking.
In his emotional acceptance speech, Cruise said making movies “is not what I do – it’s who I am,” reflecting on how watching films in a theatre as a child inspired him. He emphasised cinema’s unique power to unite people across differences, saying that in theatres “we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together.”
The Academy highlighted Cruise’s extraordinary career and his tireless promotion of theatrical cinema, which has helped preserve the big-screen experience amid the rise of streaming platforms. IMAX also congratulated the actor for his support of immersive cinematic experiences, noting that his dedication to high-quality releases has advanced global film standards.
Cruise’s Honorary Oscar cements his legacy as a cinematic icon whose work has shaped the modern action genre and championed the enduring appeal of theatres worldwide.
