Glenn Close, Ridley Scott and animator Floyd Norman will receive honorary Oscars at the 2026 Governors Awards, alongside producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, as the Academy highlights lifetime achievements across acting, directing and animation.
The quiet weight of an entire career landed in a new spotlight on Wednesday, June 10—when the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences named who it plans to honor at the 2026 Governors Awards.
Glenn Close, Ridley Scott and animator Floyd Norman will receive honorary Oscars at the ceremony set for Sunday, Nov. 15, with the Academy saying the awards are meant “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement.”
Close. 79. is being recognized for a five-decade acting career that has been threaded with major roles—and. for a long time. the ache of coming close without a win. Her film “Fatal Attraction. ” tied to the Oscars. produced eight nominations and “shockingly no wins. ” an outcome the Academy’s announcement arrives as her acting career continues to be defined by both triumphs and near-misses.
Close’s journey included her first Oscar nomination in 1982. tied to her feature-film debut. “The World According to Garp. ” where she played Jenny Fields. the strong-willed single mother to Garp (Robin Williams). She later earned additional nominations for “The Big Chill,” “The Natural,” “Fatal Attraction” and “Dangerous Liaisons.”.
After widespread acclaim for “Albert Nobbs” and collecting numerous critics’ awards, Close entered the 2012 Oscars as a leading contender for best actress. In that season’s biggest surprise, Meryl Streep won for “The Iron Lady,” extending Close’s long-standing Oscar drought.
Her nomination history continued with roles in “The Wife” and “Hillbilly Elegy.” Beyond award circuits. she also became closely associated with some of the culture’s most vivid characters. including the fur-obsessed villain Cruella de Vil in Disney’s live-action “101 Dalmatians” and its sequel. “102 Dalmatians.”.
In a statement, Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor said: “Throughout her extraordinary body of work, Glenn Close’s unparalleled emotional range has brought to life some of the most complex characters in cinema.”
Ridley Scott, meanwhile, has never won an Oscar before an honorary award. The director has received four Oscar nominations in his six-decade career: for directing “Thelma & Louise,” “Gladiator” and “Black Hawk Down,” as well as for a best picture nomination for “The Martian” as a producer.
Scott also has deep ties to Britain’s film world. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 2024 for his services to the British film industry.
His filmography spans major franchise and auteur work, including “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” “Legend,” “Black Rain,” “G.I. Jane. ” “Kingdom of Heaven. ” “American Gangster. ” “Prometheus. ” “All the Money in the World. ” “House of Gucci. ” “The Last Duel. ” “Napoleon. ” and the upcoming feature “The Dog Stars.”.
The Academy’s lifetime recognition also reaches back into animation history through Floyd Norman. described in the announcement as Walt Disney’s first Black animator. Norman began his 65-year career at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1956, becoming the studio’s first Black animator. His first Disney feature film was “Sleeping Beauty.”.
His contributions extended across a run of classics. including “The Sword in the Stone. ” “Mary Poppins. ” “The Jungle Book” and “Robin Hood. ” along with short films “Donald in Mathmagic Land. ” “Goliath II” and “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” Norman’s other notable film credits listed by the Academy include “The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ” “Mulan. ” “Toy Story 2” and “Monsters. Inc.”.
Alongside the honorary Oscars for Close. Scott and Norman. the Academy also named producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler as the recipients of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. The honor is given to filmmakers “whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production.”.
Vachon and Koffler founded the New York-based independent production company Killer Films in 1995. Together. they have produced films including “Hedwig and the Angry Inch. ” “One Hour Photo. ” “Camp. ” “The Notorious Bettie Page” and “May December.” The duo earned a best picture Oscar nomination for “Past Lives” in 2024.
Taylor said of Vachon and Koffler: “Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler play a central role in American independent cinema, championing bold, ambitious and distinctive storytelling.”
The Academy’s honorees will receive their statuettes at the 17th Governors Awards on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Oscars 2026 Governors Awards Glenn Close Ridley Scott Floyd Norman honorary Oscar Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Christine Vachon Pamela Koffler Killer Films