Tom Cruise Is Finally an Oscar Winner at 2025 Governors Awards | Vanity Fair
Tom Cruise received his first Oscar in Los Angeles on Sunday night. The honour came through the Governors Awards, which mark lifetime work in film. The event is part of the Academy’s yearly calendar and brings together many leading names from the industry.
Janet Yang, the president of the Academy, praised Cruise for his steady support for theatres and the stunt community. She spoke about his efforts during the 2020 shoot of the seventh Mission: Impossible film. She said his work helped the industry return to production during the Covid period.
Cruise spoke about his early love for movies. He recalled watching a beam of light hit a screen and show scenes from places far from his childhood home. He said those moments pushed him to learn about people and build stories that stay with viewers.
Alejandro González Iñárritu introduced Cruise at the event. He is working with Cruise on a new film set for release in 2026. He joked that speaking about a 45-year career in four minutes felt like a Mission: Impossible task. He said Cruise’s work feels planned yet free, and that his energy stays the same on and off the set. He shared an incident where Cruise ate chilli peppers without slowing down.
Iñárritu said this award is the first for Cruise but not the last. He added that standing next to Cruise makes others feel older in comparison.
The Academy honoured other artists as well. Dolly Parton received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. She could not attend the event because of recent health concerns. Her friend Lily Tomlin spoke about her long record of community work. Tomlin said Parton stays honest and kind, even with her love for glamour. She noted Parton’s work through the Dollywood Foundation, her book donation effort that expanded across countries, and her help with disaster relief projects. Parton also supported Covid vaccine research. In a recorded message, Parton said her parents taught her to give without fear. She said the award inspires her to find new ways to support people.
Wynn Thomas, a production designer with credits on films like Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Hidden Figures, received another honorary award. Octavia Spencer introduced him and said his sets show a wide range of Black life. She said Thomas helped young Black artists enter the field. Thomas spoke about his childhood in West Philadelphia. He said he escaped local troubles by reading on his front stoop. He later worked with many respected directors. He said the local gangs mocked him as a child, but the same child went on to build worlds through film.
Debbie Allen was also celebrated. Cynthia Erivo spoke about Allen’s work in acting, dancing, choreography and direction. She described how a rejection pushed Allen to build a long career across film and television. Allen thanked her parents for raising her to believe that she could aim high despite social limits. She said the award reminds her of the work she still wants to do.
Cruise closed the evening with a short message. He said films show how people share the same feelings, no matter where they come from. He said people laugh and heal together in a theatre. He added that making films is not just his job. It is his identity.
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