Overview
- Cruise, 63, accepted after a lengthy ovation and said, "Making movies is not what I do, it's who I am."
- He pledged to keep defending theatrical cinema, joking that he hopes to do so with fewer broken bones.
- Iñárritu praised Cruise onstage and noted their months of work in London on an untitled project slated for 2026.
- The ceremony at Hollywood's Ray Dolby Ballroom also honored Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas, while Dolly Parton received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in absentia due to health issues.
- The room was packed with high-profile contenders and executives, signaling the informal start of Oscar-season positioning ahead of the March 15, 2026 ceremony.