Director Peter Weir will receive an honorary Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ (AMPAS) Governors Awards in November.
Weir will be presented the award alongside Euzhan Palcy and Dianne Warren, with Michael J. Fox to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
The decision to bestow Weir with the Academy Award was made by AMPAS’ board of governors.
Over his career, Weir has been nominated for six Oscars, with directing nominations for Witness (1986), Dead Poets Society (1990), The Truman Show (1999) and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2004), for which he also also received a Best Picture nomination. In addition, he earned a writing nomination for Green Card in 1990.
One of Australia’s most celebrated directors and a pivotal figure in the New Wave of the ’70s, Weir’s credits also encompass Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave, Gallipoli, The Cars That Ate Paris, The Way Back, Fearless, The Mosquito Coast and The Year of Living Dangerously.
“The Academy’s Board of Governors is honored to recognise four individuals who have made indelible contributions to cinema and the world at large,” said Academy president David Rubin.
“Michael J. Fox’s tireless advocacy of research on Parkinson’s disease alongside his boundless optimism exemplifies the impact of one person in changing the future for millions. Euzhan Palcy is a pioneering filmmaker whose groundbreaking significance in international cinema is cemented in film history. Diane Warren’s music and lyrics have magnified the emotional impact of countless motion pictures and inspired generations of musical artists. Peter Weir is a director of consummate skill and artistry whose work reminds us of the power of film to reveal the full range of human experience.”
The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”
The Academy’s 13th Governors Awards will be held Saturday, November 19 in Los Angeles.