By Lindsey Bahr
Quincy Jones has been nominated for seven Oscars in the past 55 years, including best original score, best song, and even best picture. Although he's never collected a competitive statuette during the Academy Awards, this November he'll receive an honorary Oscar from the Academy's Board of Governors in recognition of his contributions to the art of film.
Jones, casting director Juliet Taylor, filmmaker Richard Curtis and James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli will all be honored at this year's Governors Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday.
Jones, who has contributed to films like "In Cold Blood," "The Wiz" and "The Color Purple," and Taylor, whose casting credits include "Taxi Driver," "Annie Hall," "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Schindler's List," will receive Academy Honorary Awards. Most honorary Oscar recipients have not yet won a competitive Oscar.
Curtis, the "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually" filmmaker, will get the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his charitable efforts. A co-founder of Comic Relief UK and USA, he has helped raise more than $2 billion over the past 40 years. Jones was given the Hersholt award in 1994.
The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award will go to EON Productions' Wilson and Broccoli, whose 007 credits include "Casino Royale," "Skyfall" and "No Time To Die." Broccoli's father, Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, was given the Thalberg award in 1981.
"The recipients of this year's Governors Awards have set the bar incredibly high across their remarkable careers, and the Academy's Board of Governors is thrilled to recognize them with Oscars," Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. "Their profound love of cinema and indelible contribution to our art form make these five individuals truly deserving of these honors."
The event, which is not televised, will be held Nov. 17 in the Ray Dolby Ballroom, just an escalator ride up from the Dolby Theatre that hosts the Oscars.
Lindsey Bahr is an AP film writer
“Scandal” cast will reunite for online script reading for hurricane relief in western North Carolina
The cast of ABC's hit political drama "Scandal" may need to brush up on their snappy, speedy delivery known as "Scandal-pace," because they're reuniting for a good cause. Its stars including Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young will take part in a live virtual script reading on Nov. 17 to raise money for hurricane relief in western North Carolina.
Beginning Friday, fans can go online and donate to reserve a spot for the online reading. Proceeds will benefit United Way of North Carolina. Everyone who donates will be able to take part in a virtual pre-event with the cast and Shonda Rhimes will give an introduction.
Additional guest stars will also be announced. The online fundraising platform Prizeo is also holding a contest where one person who donates online via their site will be selected to read a role from the script with the actors. The winner should not worry about the "Scandal"-pace, assured Young over Zoom.
"Whomever the lucky reader is can read at whatever pace they want," she said.
Young, who played Mellie Young, the first lady and later Republican presidential nominee on "Scandal," was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. She came up with the idea for the effort with a friend and took it to her fellow "Scandal" actors, who all jumped on board. Young said this is the first script reading the cast has all done together since the show ended after seven seasons in 2018.
Which episode they will be reading has not been announced yet.
Young said it's "been devastating" to see so many parts of her hometown badly damaged by Hurricane Helene, which ravaged western North Carolina one month ago.
To research the best use for donations, Young spoke with numerous political leaders, including North... Read More