Highlights
- Tom Cruise receives an Academy Honorary Award at the 2025 Governors Awards
- He reflects on cinema’s power to unite people and thanks those who make films possible
- The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026
Cruise receives honor from the academy
Tom Cruise is celebrated at the 2025 Governors Awards, where he accepts an Academy Honorary Award presented by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The two are currently working together on an untitled film scheduled for release in October 2026.
On stage, Cruise speaks about cinema as a global connector and pays tribute to the many people behind every film. He says the movie theatre remains a place where audiences “laugh together” and “feel together,” describing that shared experience as the heart of the art form.
A speech rooted in childhood memories
Cruise reflects on the moment he first fell in love with film, recalling being a young boy watching a beam of light sweep across a dark theatre. He says movies opened his imagination, broadened his view of the world, and inspired his lifelong pursuit of storytelling.
He ends his speech by saying that filmmaking is not simply his profession but his identity.
A career defined by dedication
The actor, known for his long-running Mission: Impossible franchise, has earned four Oscar nominations over the years: Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, Best Supporting Actor for Magnolia, and Best Picture as a producer of Top Gun: Maverick.
Academy President Janet Yang praises Cruise’s commitment to theatrical filmmaking and his influence on the industry. His work on Top Gun: Maverick, the highest-grossing film in the U.S. in 2022, also drew significant acclaim, including praise from Steven Spielberg for helping sustain theatrical releases post-pandemic.
A lighter moment before the ceremony
He says the movie theatre remains a place where audiences “laugh together” and “feel together"Getty Images
Ahead of the awards night, Cruise shares a lively dance with choreographer and fellow honoree Debbie Allen at a pre-event gathering. A clip posted by producer and DJ D-Nice shows the two laughing and dancing together.
Looking ahead to the 2026 Oscars
The Honorary Oscar is presented at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles, alongside awards for Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas.
The 98th Academy Awards will be hosted by Conan O’Brien on March 15, 2026, with nominations set to be announced on Jan. 22, 2026.
