The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present Honorary Oscars to veteran actress Glenn Close, legendary director Ridley Scott and Disney’s first Black animator Floyd Norman, while producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, longtime champions of independent film, will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, following a vote by its Board of Governors.
The statuettes will be presented at the Academy’s 17th Governors Awards on Nov. 15, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
For Close and Scott, the recognition arrives as a long-overdue embrace from an Academy that has nominated each of them repeatedly without ever handing over a competitive prize. Close holds eight acting nominations and no wins, tied with the late Peter O’Toole for the most acting nominations without a win in Oscar history.
Scott has three directing nominations and a producing nod for best picture, and likewise has never taken home a statuette, despite his 2000 action epic “Gladiator” winning five Oscars, including best picture. The honorary recognition finally closes that gap for two of the industry’s most revered artists.
“The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to present this year’s Governors Awards to five remarkable individuals whose groundbreaking work has forever shaped the art of filmmaking,” said Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. “Throughout her extraordinary body of work, Glenn Close’s unparalleled emotional range has brought to life some of the most complex characters in cinema. Floyd Norman is the legendary animator who has broken barriers and inspired generations of artists over his remarkable career. Sir Ridley Scott is a true visionary whose decades-long legacy has left an immeasurable impact on global cinema and culture. Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler play a central role in American independent cinema, championing bold, ambitious and distinctive storytelling.”
