Washington, 17 June

 Thirty-five years after Tom Cruise received his first Oscar nomination, he's finally getting a trophy. It's not for his death-defying stunts, either. At least, not exclusively.

Cruise, choreographer Debbie Allen and Do The Right Thing production designer Wynn Thomas have all been selected to receive honorary Oscar statuettes at the annual Governors Awards, the film academy said Tuesday.

Dolly Parton will also be recognised with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her decades-long charitable work in literacy and education.

“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,” Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.

Most recipients of the prize historically have not yet won a competitive Oscar themselves. Cruise, 62, has been nominated four times, twice for best actor in 'Born on the Fourth of July' and 'Jerry Maguire', once for supporting actor in 'Magnolia' and once for best picture with 'Top Gun: Maverick'. He's also championed theatrical moviegoing and big-scale Hollywood production through the coronavirus pandemic.

Yang spotlighted Cruise's “incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community.”

Allen, 75, has never been nominated for an Oscar. But the multi-hyphenate entertainer — she also acts and produces — has played an integral role in the Oscars show, having choreographed seven ceremonies over the years. Four of those were nominated for prime-time Emmy awards.

A nomination had also eluded Thomas, a leading production designer whose films have often gone on to best picture nominations and even one win, for Ron Howard's  'A Beautiful Mind'. Thomas is most known for his long-term collaboration with filmmaker Spike Lee, from 'She's Gotta Have It' and 'Malcolm X' through 'Da 5 Bloods'.

Parton has been nominated twice for best original song, for '9 to 5' and, in 2006, 'Travelin' Thru' from the film 'Transamerica.' But her honour celebrates her humanitarian efforts over the years, through organisations like the Dollywood Foundation and the literary programme 'Dolly Parton's Imagination Library'.

Yang said Parton exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

The awards will be handed out during an untelevised ceremony on 16 November at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. Last year's recipients included the late Quincy Jones, Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, filmmaker Richard Curtis and casting director Juliet Taylor.

Recipients of the prizes, which honour lifetime achievement, contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences and service to the academy are selected by the film academy's board of governors.