The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science has announced five honorees for the 15th annual Governors Awards. The ceremony will celebrate “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill” director Richard Curtis; songwriter, producer, and seven-time Oscar nominee Quincy Jones; longtime James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson; and legendary casting director Juliet Taylor, best known for collaborations with Woody Allen, Mike Nicholas, Nora Ephron, and Steven Spielberg.
The Governors Awards are often viewed as an unofficial start to the Oscar season in Los Angeles, as the event is frequently attended by Oscar hopefuls looking to interact with Academy Awards voters. Recent ceremonies have honored the likes of Mel Brooks, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, and Elaine May with lifetime achievement awards.
As announced earlier in 2024, the Academy will launch a competitive Casting Oscar category next year to honor 2025 film releases. Taylor’s inclusion here feels in spirit of the push toward the long-overdue award, itself likely to be handed out at the next Governors Awards or the Academy’s Scientific and Technical ceremony ahead of the 2026 show. The Academy can’t renegotiate adding new awards to the actual telecast until the 2028 ceremony, when its contract with ABC is up for renewal.
“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,” Academy president Janet Yang said in a statement. “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’ 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.”
The 15th annual Governors Awards will take place on Sunday, November 17 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
