The 15th Governors Awards was held on November 17, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood. This year's recipients—music composer Quincy Jones, casting director Juliet Taylor, producer and director Richard Curtis, and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli—was honoured at the ceremony.
"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 recognise them with Oscars," said Academy president Janet Yang.
Legendary music composer Quincy Jones, who passed away on November 3, received the honorary award. It was accepted, on Jones's behalf, by his family. Jones, who was aware he would receive the honour in June, had prepared a speech, read by his daughter, actress Rashida Jones. "I share this award and tonight's honour with all the amazing directors, legendary actors and of course exceptional songwriters, composers and musicians," the speech read.
Jones is best known for composing music for the films The Wiz and The Colour Purple. He also served as musical director and conductor of the 43rd Academy Awards in 1971.
Juliet Taylor also received an honorary award. She is an American casting director, who has been involved in over 100 films, majority of them in collaboration with director Woody Allen. Taylor has cast for Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Match Point, Manhattan and many more. She is also known for her giving veteran actress Meryl Streep her first movie role.
Taylor said she is extremely happy that the Academy will include a category for casting directors in 2026, adding “has been a long time coming”. She continued,“I can't help but think of all the casting directors who came before me who deserve this honour”.
Richard Curtis received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an award given to, according to the official Academy website, “an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human welfare”.
Curtis is known for his hit rom-coms like About Time, Notting Hill, Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral. The director also mentioned that the award did not belong to him only but also his wife. “When I go home, I have to melt it down and share it, and the person who I would most share this with is Emma.”
Half-siblings Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, best known for their production of the iconic Bond films, were awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. This award is given to producers “whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production”.
Wilson and Broccoli are children of Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. He was the producer of the James Bond films and handed the responsibility over to his children before his death. “I'm deeply grateful and profoundly moved because I watched my father accept this award in 1981, a farm boy who made good in Hollywood,” Broccoli said.