THE ACADEMY TO HONOR RICHARD CURTIS, QUINCY JONES, JULIET TAYLOR, MICHAEL G. WILSON & BARBARA BROCCOLI AT 15TH GOVERNORS AWARDS
Oscar® statuettes to be presented on November 17
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that its Board of Governors voted to present Academy Honorary Awards to Quincy Jones and Juliet Taylor, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Richard Curtis and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The Oscar® statuettes will be presented at the Academy’s Governors Awards event on Sunday, November 17, 2024, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
“The recipients of this year’s Governors Awards have set the bar incredibly high across their remarkable careers, and the Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to recognize them with Oscars,” said Academy President Janet Yang. “The selection of Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli is a testament to their success as producers of the fan-favorite Bond series and their contribution to the industry’s theatrical landscape. Richard Curtis is a brilliant comedic storyteller whose tremendous charitable efforts embody the meaning of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Quincy Jones’s artistic genius and relentless creativity have made him one of the most influential musical figures of all time. Juliet Taylor has cast iconic and beloved films and paved a new path for the field. Their profound love of cinema and indelible contribution to our art form make these five individuals truly deserving of these honors.”
Curtis’s film credits include “Notting Hill,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Love Actually” and “About Time.” He earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” Curtis is the co-founder of Comic Relief UK and USA, and his fundraising work over 40 years has helped raise more than $2 billion and supported over 170 million people. In 2005, he co-created Make Poverty History and helped produce the Live 8 concerts. Most recently, he co-founded the group Project Everyone, giving practical support to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and established the ethical investment campaign Make My Money Matter, which has helped transfer £1.3 trillion into sustainable pensions.
A prominent figure with an illustrious musical career spanning seven decades, Jones has produced and composed an expansive body of work. His film credits include “In the Heat of the Night” and he has earned a total of seven Oscar nominations for his work on such films as “In Cold Blood,” “The Wiz” and “The Color Purple,” receiving a Best Picture nomination for the latter. In 1967, Jones was the first Black composer to be nominated in the Original Song category. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with Lesley Gore, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, among others. Jones was the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1994.
Taylor is a prolific casting director who is behind some of the most acclaimed casts in film history. Some notable credits from her 50-year career include “Taxi Driver,” “Annie Hall,” “Big,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Schindler’s List,” “Interview with the Vampire,” “Angela’s Ashes,” “Midnight in Paris” and “Blue Jasmine.” She has worked with directors including James L. Brooks, Nora Ephron, Mike Nichols, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, to name a few.
Wilson and Broccoli of EON Productions are producers of the James Bond film series. They have produced some of the most successful 007 films ever including “Casino Royale,” “Quantum of Solace,” “Skyfall,” “Spectre” and “No Time to Die.” Wilson and Broccoli have produced and executive produced independent film projects such as “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool,” “Nancy,” “The Rhythm Section,” “Till” and “The Accidental Getaway Driver.” They are directors of the Broccoli Foundation, founded by Dana and Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli to support the arts, medicine and education. Cubby Broccoli received the Thalberg Award in 1981. Barbara Broccoli is the second woman to receive the Thalberg Award.
The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences of any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, also an Oscar statuette, is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities.”
The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, now an Oscar statuette, is presented to creative producers “whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production.”
The 15th Governors Awards is proudly supported by Rolex, the Exclusive Watch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is home to a global membership of more than 10,500 of the most accomplished film industry artists and leaders. The Academy recognizes and celebrates all aspects of the arts and sciences of moviemaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars®. With the largest film-related collection in the world, housed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library and the Academy Film Archive, the Academy is a leader in the fields of conservation, preservation and exhibition of film-related objects and materials. Through the Academy Museum, the Academy presents powerful exhibitions, screenings and programs about cinema’s past, present, and future. The Academy also inspires young artists and creates opportunities for underrepresented communities to engage with the film world. Across all initiatives, the Academy connects global audiences – its members, the film industry and film fans – through their shared passion for making and watching films.
ABOUT ROLEX AND CINEMA
For many decades, Rolex has maintained close ties with the world of cinema. Its watches have played a role in numerous films, including Oscar®-winning masterpieces. The company promotes excellence, encourages the preservation and transmission of the cinematic arts and celebrates progress by accompanying cinema legends and budding talents: through Testimonees such as Martin Scorsese, James Cameron and Jia Zhang-ke, its partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Rolex mentoring programme for talented young filmmakers. Rolex has partnered with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2017, serving as Proud Sponsor of the Oscars®, hosting the event’s Greenroom, while also supporting the Governors Awards, known for recognizing lifetime achievement and humanitarian efforts in the film industry. To assist in the preservation of film history for future generations, Rolex became a Founding Supporter of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles and a partner of The Film Foundation. Through its support of the film industry, Rolex champions excellence, the perpetuation of knowledge, the conservation of the art of filmmaking and the rise of new talent.
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