Michael J. Fox, Dianne Warren, Peter Weir To Receive Honorary Oscars

After 13 nominations without a win, Grammy-winning songwriter Dianne Warren is finally getting her Oscar. Today the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed that Warren and filmmakers Peter Weir and Euzhan Palcy will be awarded honorary Academy Awards at the 2022 Governors Awards this November. Michael J. Fox will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

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In a statement, outgoing Academy president David Rubin noted, “The Academy’s Board of Governors is honored to recognize four individuals who have made indelible contributions to cinema and the world at large. Michael J. Fox’s tireless advocacy of research on Parkinson’s disease alongside his boundless optimism exemplifies the impact of one person in changing the future for millions.  Euzhan Palcy is a pioneering filmmaker whose groundbreaking significance in international cinema is cemented in film history.  Diane Warren’s music and lyrics have magnified the emotional impact of countless motion pictures and inspired generations of musical artists.  Peter Weir is a director of consummate skill and artistry whose work reminds us of the power of film to reveal the full range of human experience.”

Warren’s first nomination occurred in 1988 for “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from “Mannequin.” A string of her nominated 90s hits, “Because You Loved Me” from “Up Close and Personal,” “How Do I Live” from “Con-Air” and “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” from “Armageddon” almost saw her in the winner’s circle. She was nominated earlier this year for “Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days.” Warren will become EGO after the ceremony having won an Emmy and Grammy Award during her storied career.

Best known for his television work on “Family Ties,” “Spin City,” and more recently, “The Good Wife,” Fox popped in the mid-80s and early ’90s in films such as “Back to the Future,” “The Secret of My Success,” “Casualties of War,” “Doc Hollywood” and “The American President.” In 2000, he launched the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which is now the leading Parkinson’s organization in the world. 

One of Australia’s preeminent filmmakers, Peter Weir’s work includes “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” “Gallipoli,” “The Year of Living Dangerously,” “Witness,” “The Mosquito Coast,” “Dead Poets Society,” “Green Card,” “The Truman Show” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.” The latter landed 10 Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. Overall, Weir has been nominated for Best Director three times for “Master,” “Witness” and “Dead Poets Society.” “Poets” also earned a Best Picture nomination. Weir is a two-time BAFTA Award recipient.

A native of Martinique, Palcy is a filmmaker whose works include “Sugar Cane Alley,” Siméon,” and “A Dry White Season.” She has been feted by the Venice, Cannes, and Tokyo International Film Festivals.

The Academy notes that 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, 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.”

The 13th Governors Awards will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2022, in Los Angeles.