The winners of honorary Oscar awards are voted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences governors and will be feted at the ceremony on November 14.
- Aug 28, 2015
AceShowbiz - Spike Lee, Gena Rowlands and Debbie Reynolds have been announced as the recipients of 2015 Governors Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will toast them in a gala held on November 14 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland.
The honorary Oscars are handed over to Lee and Rowlands while the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is bestowed upon Reynolds. The awards are given each year for lifetime achievements, exceptional contributions to motion picture arts and sciences, and outstanding service to the Academy. The recipients were selected through voting on Tuesday, August 25 night at a meeting of the Academy's board of governors.
"The Board is proud to recognize our honorees' remarkable contributions at this year's Governors Awards," said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs in the press release. "We'll be celebrating their achievements with the knowledge that the work they have accomplished - with passion, dedication and a desire to make a positive difference - will also enrich future generations."
Rowlands was the first to get a call from Isaacs. "I think she was a little surprise and very thrilled and honored. She said I made her day. I think she's fabulous," Isaacs recalled. Meanwhile, Lee was "very honored" for the awards. "I wanted to make it clear to him that his impact on the indie world has been remarkable and it has been steadfast over all these decades. That kept him alive and vibrant for all that time, and the impact he's had on young filmmakers can't be denied. He's had a great career and made some iconic films at full volume," Isaacs explained.
Speaking of Reynolds, Isaacs said, "Debbie is such a world-famous icon. When you go around the world and say you're from Hollywood, she's one of the names that always comes up. And yet she devoted so much of her time and energy to help others, especially those with issues of mental health problems. And that's why we have the Jean Hersholt."
