Tom Cruise accepted an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, delivering an emotional speech about his lifelong passion for filmmaking.
The Academy Honorary Award was presented by Alejandro González Iñárritu, who is directing Cruise in an unnamed film slated for release next year.
The four-time Oscar-nominated actor described filmmaking as not just a job, but "who I am".
"It takes me around the world," Cruise told the audience in the Ray Dolby Ballroom.
"It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me, also, our shared humanity, how alike we are in so, so many ways.
"And no matter where we come from, in that theatre, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, and that is the power of this art form. And that is why it matters; that is why it matters to me. So, making films is not what I do; it is who I am."
The Mission: Impossible star was honoured alongside singer Dolly Parton, choreographer Debbie Allen, and Do the Right Thing production designer Wynn Thomas.
At tonight's 16th Governors Awards, the Academy is proud to honor four cinematic visionaries whose artistry has defined generations and continues to shape the future of film.
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) November 16, 2025
Debbie Allen
Tom Cruise
Wynn Thomas
Dolly Parton
Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, and Wynn… pic.twitter.com/pqjLheINsU
Historically, many recipients of the prize have not yet won a competitive Academy Award themselves.
Cruise has been nominated twice for Best Actor in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, once for Supporting Actor in Magnolia, and once as a producer for Best Picture with Top Gun: Maverick.
He told the crowd his love for cinema began at a young age.
"My love for cinema began at a very early age, as early as I can remember," Cruise said.
"I was just a little kid in a darkened theatre, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room, and I remember looking up, and it seemed to be just exploding on the screen. Suddenly, the world was so much larger than the one that I knew."
Dolly Parton was recognised with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her decades-long charitable endeavours.
Parton, who could not attend due to health concerns, sent her thanks via video.
When Cruise's award was announced in June, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Janet Yang hailed Cruise's "incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community".
"This year's Governors Awards will celebrate four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our filmmaking community continue to leave a lasting impact," she said.
The Oscar nominations will be announced on 22 January 2026. The Academy Awards will take place on 15 March.
