According to Academy President David Rubin, the four Oscar statuettes will honor "four individuals who have made indelible contributions to cinema and the society at large."
Euzhan Palcy is a pioneering filmmaker whose contributions to international cinema are indelible in the annals of cinema. Michael J. Fox's continuous support of Parkinson's disease research and his unwavering optimism, according to Rubin, "exemplify the impact of one individual in transforming the future for millions."
The emotional effect of numerous films has been heightened by Diane Warren's music and lyrics, which have also influenced countless other musicians. Peter Weir is a director of the highest caliber, whose films serve as a constant reminder of the ability of the moving image to capture the full breadth of human experience.
French West Indies native Palcy was born in Martinique and works as a writer, director, and producer. Her 1983 film Sugar Cane Alley, a first for a Black director, took home the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. It later went on to win a César Award for best debut feature, becoming the first film directed by a woman and produced by a person of color to do so. With A Dry White Season, which earned Marlon Brando his final Oscar nomination, she made history as the first Black woman to helm a major Hollywood studio production. Siméon is one of her movies.
Fox gained notoriety playing the character Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties. He later appeared in the Back To The Future films, The Secret Of My Success, Casualties Of War, Doc Hollywood, and The American President. Spin City is among the TV credits. He has won two Screen Actors Guild awards, a Grammy, four Golden Globes, five Emmys, and four Golden Globes. He established the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in 2000, and documentarian Davis Guggenheim will be focusing on him in a future film.
Warren is a prolific modern songwriter who has contributed original songs to more than 100 movies. For songs like "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," "How Do I Live," and "Stand Up For Something," Warren has received 13 Oscar nominations in the category of original song. Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Cher, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, and John Legend are just a few of the artists who have worked with her.
Weir, a pioneer of the Australian New Wave, received nods for his directing work on Witness, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, and Master and Commander in addition to his breakthrough films Picnic At Hanging Rock and The Last Wave. His significant films include The Year Of Living Dangerously, Gallipoli, and The Mosquito Coast. He received a writing nomination for Green Card.
