Veteran Hollywood actor Tom Cruise has won his first Academy Award, receiving an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards held on Sunday night in Los Angeles.

The 63-year-old star, widely known for his physically demanding roles in the Mission: Impossible franchise, was honoured by the Academy for his outstanding contributions to the film.

The ceremony, held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom, brought together major industry figures and marked Cruise’s first Oscar win after four previous nominations.

Throughout the event, Cruise drew significant attention, remaining in the ballroom long after the show ended as celebrities and guests departed.

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Despite the crowd thinning from more than a thousand attendees to just a few dozen, the actor continued greeting guests, posing for photos, and receiving congratulations.

Cruise’s award was presented with a tribute from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who introduced clips highlighting the actor’s decades-long career.
“Tom Cruise doesn’t just make movies; he is movies,” Iñárritu said.

The Governors Awards, once part of the televised Oscars before being moved to a separate ceremony in 2009, also honoured other recipients. Dolly Parton received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable work, delivering a recorded message due to health-related absence.

Production designer Wynn Thomas was recognised for his influential career, including work on A Beautiful Mind and Hidden Figures.

The event drew several A-list attendees, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael B. Jordan and Ariana Grande, making it a key stop in the awards-season calendar.

Cruise’s win marks a significant milestone in his 40-year acting career and comes as he continues to remain active in major Hollywood productions.