10/15/2025
LOS ANGELES, CA – Oscar®-nominated producer and Academy Producers Branch governor Jennifer Fox will return to produce the 16th Governors Awards for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor announced today. It is her seventh time producing the event.
At the Governors Awards, Honorary Oscars® will be presented to Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise and Wynn Thomas, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Dolly Parton. The event will take place on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
“Jennifer’s expertise in producing the Governors Awards is unmatched. We are thrilled to welcome her back to kick off our 98th Oscars events with a celebration of four truly remarkable honorees,” said Howell Taylor.
“It’s always an honor to produce this joyous and esteemed Academy event,” said Fox. “I’m looking forward to helping pay tribute to the incredible achievements of Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton and Wynn Thomas.”
Fox has produced or executive produced some of the most iconic films of the last 20 years, including Tony Gilroy’s directorial debut, “Michael Clayton,” which earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. She began her film industry career in development and production at Universal Pictures, where she worked on several films, including “Erin Brockovich.” For the next six years, Fox produced films with Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney’s production company, Section Eight, where she worked on such acclaimed titles as “Syriana,” “Good Night, and Good Luck.,” “A Scanner Darkly” and “The Informant!.” Her other film credits include “Duplicity,” “The Bourne Legacy,” “We Need to Talk about Kevin,” “Nightcrawler,” “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” “Velvet Buzzsaw,” “The Report,” “The Last Duel” and “Magazine Dreams.” She is currently working on her next film, “Artificial,” directed by Luca Guadagnino. Additionally, Fox has produced the Academy’s last six consecutive Governors Awards.
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 in 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 16th Governors Awards is presented in partnership with Rolex, the Exclusive Watch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For more information about this year’s Governors Awards recipients, click here.
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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's premier film organization and is home to a global membership of more than 11,000 of the most accomplished film industry artists and leaders. The Academy connects global audiences – its members, the film industry, and film fans – through their shared passion for making and watching films. The Academy does this by recognizing and celebrating the arts and sciences of moviemaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars®, the Governors Awards, and the Scientific and Technical Awards. The Academy’s affiliated charitable organization, the Academy Foundation, serves a public benefit through its robust educational, preservation and cultural activities. This includes the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the world's largest global film museum, the Academy Collection, the largest film-related collection in the world, and talent development programs for emerging artists. Year-round, the Academy creates opportunities for all communities to engage with the film world.
ABOUT ROLEX AND CINEMA
Rolex celebrates human achievement as a journey marked by milestones, emotions and defining moments. For more than half a century, the brand has partnered some of the world’s most talented artists and leading cultural institutions to promote excellence and the transmission of artistic heritage, creating a link between the past, present and future.
Through the Perpetual Arts Initiative, a broad portfolio of arts that extends through architecture, cinema, dance, music, literature, theatre and visual arts, the brand confirms its long-term commitment to global culture.
The company has had close ties with the film industry for decades, its watches playing a role in numerous films, including Oscar®-winning masterpieces. Since 2017, Rolex has supported the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, serving as Proud Sponsor of the Oscars®, hosting the event’s Greenroom, as well as supporting the Governors Awards, which recognize lifetime achievement and humanitarian efforts in the film industry. Rolex also sponsors Film at Lincoln Center as Official Partner and Exclusive Timepiece.
The company promotes achievement through Testimonees such as James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Zendaya and Jia Zhang-Ke. It also assists in the preservation of film history for future generations as a Founding Supporter of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, as a partner of The Film Foundation and through its support to The National Film and Television School.
