Ridley Scott to Receive Honorary Academy Award at 2026 Governors Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present an Academy Honorary Award to director Ridley Scott at the 17th Governors Awards on Nov. 15, 2026. The ceremony will also honor actor Glenn Close and animator Floyd Norman, while producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will receive the Irving G.

Thalberg Memorial Award. Across more than six decades, Scott has become a prominent director and producer. He first gained international recognition with 1979's Alien and is also known for crime-focused films such as Thelma & Louise and American Gangster. His honors include two Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards for work on The Gathering Storm (2002), Gettysburg (2011) and RKO 281 (2000).

Scott has been nominated for Best Director or Best Picture at the Academy Awards four times—Best Picture as a producer on The Martian (2015), and Best Director for Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000) and Black Hawk Down (2001)—but he has not won any of those nominations.

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