Quincy Jones will receive an honorary Oscar at the Annual Governors Awards

Quincy Jones is set to receive an honorary Oscar at the 15th Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Governor's Awards on Sunday, Nov. 17, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood. This year's other honorees, voted on by the Academy's board of directors, are casting director Juliet Taylor; director and philanthropist Richard Curtis (Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award) and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, best known for James Bond franchise (the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award).

“This year's Governors Awards recipients have set the bar incredibly high throughout their remarkable careers, and the Academy's Board of Trustees is thrilled to recognize them with the Oscars,” Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. For Jones, he added, “Quincy Jones' artistic genius and relentless creativity have made him one of the most influential musical figures of all time.”

This is the second honorary Oscar for Jones, 91, who was voted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1994. Jones accepted this award at the 1995 Oscars telecast by his longtime friend Oprah Winfrey. He said in part, “This moment, this evening, this spot where I stand tonight was not my destination when I was young and full of vinegar. I didn't plan this trip. To tell you the truth, I don't think I could even see that far. And now that I'm older and full of wonder, I can see that maybe other forces were at the helm.”

Jones has received seven Oscar nominations, but has yet to win a competitive Oscar (which is why he's not officially an EGOT). However, Jones has made Oscar history many times over. He was the first black musician to be hired as music director for the annual Academy Awards telecast.

In 1967, Jones became the first black songwriter to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “The Eyes of Love” by Ban. (His partner, Bob Russell, was the first black songwriter to be nominated.) That same year, Jones became only the third black songwriter to be nominated in a music category, for In cold blood. (The first two black composers to get the nod were Duke Ellington Paris Bluesand Calvin Jackson, for The unsinkable Molly Brown).

Jones has received two other nods in scoring categories, for The Wiz (1978) and The Color Purple (1985). It has also received two other nods for Best Original Song, for the title song from For Love of Ivy (which he also co-wrote with Russell) and “Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)” by The Color Purple. Jones is, to date, the only black composer with three nods in scoring categories. He is one of two Black songwriters with three Best Original Song nods. (The other is Lionel Richie, one of his collaborators on 'Miss Celie's Blues (Sister).')

Jones received his seventh Academy Award as a producer on the 1985 film The Color Purple.

He has won every other major entertainment award – 28 Grammys (from 1964 to 2019), a Primetime Emmy (for composing music for the landmark 1977 miniseries Roots) and a Tony (for serving as a producer on its revival The Color Purple in 2016).

Of the other honorees, Yang said: “The selection of Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli is a testament to their success as producers of the fan-favorite Bond series and their contribution to the theatrical landscape of the industry. Richard Curtis is a brilliant comic storyteller whose tremendous philanthropic efforts embody the meaning of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Juliet Taylor made iconic and beloved films and blazed a new trail for the space. Their deep love for cinema and their indelible contribution to our art make these five individuals truly deserving of these honors.”

Curtis' film credits include; Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary and Really love. He received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay Four weddings and a funeral. Curtis is the co-founder of Comic Relief in the UK and US. His fundraising work spanning 40 years has helped raise more than $2 billion. In 2005, he co-founded Make Poverty History and helped produce the Live 8 concerts. More recently, he co-founded the Project Everyone group, giving hands-on support to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and founded the ethical investment campaign Make My Money Matter.

Taylor is a prolific casting director behind some of the most acclaimed casts in film history. Some notable credits from her 50-year career include; Taxi Driver, Annie Hall, Big, Sleepless in Seattle and Schindler's List. He has worked with directors such as James L. Brooks, Nora Ephron, Mike Nichols, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.

Wilson and Broccoli of EON Productions are producers of the James Bond film series. They have produced some of the most successful 007 films ever, including Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre and There is no time for death. (The last three big-name films have all produced Oscar winners for best original song, for Adele's “Skyfall,” Sam Smith's “Writing's on the Wall” and Billie Eilish's “No Time to Die,” respectively.) Wilson and Broccoli are directors of the Broccoli Foundation, established by Dana and Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli to support the arts, medicine and education. Cubby Broccoli received the Thalberg Award in 1981. Barbara Broccoli is the second woman to receive the Thalberg Award (following filmmaker Kathleen Kennedy in 2018).

The Honorary Award is given “to honor outstanding distinction in lifetime achievement, outstanding contribution to the state of the motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human well-being and helping to redress inequities.”

The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award is given to creative producers “whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production.”