Singer Harry Belafonte was honored with the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Saturday Night, while actress Maureen O’Hara, screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere and artist/director Hayao Miyazaki received honorary awards during the sixth annual Governors Awards ceremony.
The honors were presented at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Center.
”The Governors Awards allow us to reflect upon not the year in film,but the achievements of a lifetime,” Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said. ”We’re absolutely thrilled to honor these outstanding members of our global filmmaking community and look forward to celebrating with them in November.”
The Hersholt Award honors “an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.”
Belafonte was chosen for his work on films focusing on racism and inequality, such as ”Carmen Jones,” ”Odds Against Tomorrow” and “The World, the Flesh and the Devil,” according to the Academy. He was also selected for his vocal participation in the civil rights movement and his work on behalf of UNICEF, the Advancement Project and the Institute for Policy Studies.
The honorary Oscars are for ”extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”
Carriere shared an Oscar for live action short subject in 1962 for “Heureux Anniversaire (Happy Anniversary).” He earned nominations for the screenplays for “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie,” “The Obscure Object of Desire” and “The Unbearable Lightness of Being.”
Miyazaki won an Oscar in 2002 for his animated film “Spirited Away.” He was also nominated for “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “The Wind Rises.”
O’Hara, 94, appeared in a host of memorable films, including “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Sinbad the Sailor,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” “How Green Was My Valley” and “Rio Grande.”
