Tom Cruise finally gets his Oscar moment with a lifetime achievement trophy at the Governors Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tom Cruise, at 63 still the biggest movie star in a room full of them, finally got to hold his own Oscar on a Hollywood stage on Sunday night.

“Making movies is not what I do, it's who I am,” said Cruise. He was composed as always, but at moments seemed near tears as he spoke, grasping the gold honorary statuette that celebrated his more than 40 years at the apex of the industry at the film academy's annual Governors Awards.

“In that theater we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together,” he said after a two-minute ovation.

Production designer Wynn Thomas and choreographer and actor Debbie Allen were also selected by the academy's board of governors to be honored for their storied careers, and an absent Dolly Parton was honored for a lifetime of philanthropy at the ceremony at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles.

A competitive Oscar has eluded Cruise, who's been nominated four times: as an actor for 1989’s “Born on the Fourth of July,” 1996’s “Jerry Maguire” and 1999’s “Magnolia,” and as a producer for 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Before he took the stage, the audience saw a long montage of clips from those and his other films — loaded with death-defying stunts he often did himself — from 1981's “Taps” through this year's “Mission: Impossible -- The Final Reckoning.”

It was fitting that the Governors Awards aren't televised. Tom Cruise doesn't do TV, and he's been among the biggest champions of the theatergoing experience over streaming.

“I will always do everything I can to help this art form,” Cruise said. “To support and champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful. Hopefully without too many more broken bones.”

Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu presented Cruise the award. The two have spent several months shooting a film in London set for release in 2026. The collaboration suggests that Cruise, who has stuck to blockbuster franchise fare in recent years, might not be done trying to win an Academy Award the old-fashioned way.

“This may be his first Oscar,” Iñárritu said, “but from what I have seen and experienced, this will not be the last.”

The list of stars who attended suggests that the campaign for the next competitive Oscars is low-key underway. The banquet tables were filled with potential nominees, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Sydney Sweeney, Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande and Jacob Elordi.

Here's a look at Sunday night's other honorees:

Allen, 75, has never been nominated for an Oscar. But the multi-hyphenate entertainer has played an integral role in the Oscars show, having choreographed seven ceremonies over the years, four of them nominated for Emmys.

As an actor she appeared in “Ragtime” and both the film and television series “Fame.” She was also a producer of the film “Amistad,” whose director, Steven Spielberg, hugged her as she took the stage.

A tearful Allen thanked the room for “this glorious golden moment in the sun.”

Cynthia Erivo presented the award to Allen, whom she considers an “aunty,” and praised her for lifting up her fellow Black artists.

“Debbie, you have not only shown us the great heights dedication to the arts can take us, you have fought to bring all of us along with you,” Erivo said.

Allen thanked her sister, actor Phylicia Rashad, and her husband of 40 years, former NBA all-star and LA Laker Norm Nixon, both of whom sat at her table.

Looking at her statuette, she said it feels like she and Oscar “got married. Sorry, Norman!”

Thomas was honored for the decades of visual imagination he brought to films as one of the first Black production designers and art directors of Hollywood films.

His movies have included director Ron Howard's best-picture winner “A Beautiful Mind” and director Tim Burton's sci-fi farce “Mars Attacks.”

But he's best known for his decades of collaborations with director Spike Lee on films including “Do The Right Thing,” “Malcolm X” and “Da 5 Bloods.”

“My journey to storytelling began as a poor Black kid in one of the worst slums in Philadelphia,” Thomas said after accepting his statuette from Octavia Spencer. “The local gangs looked down on me and called me sissy. But that sissy grew up to work with some great filmmakers.”

Parton was the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her decades-long charitable work in literacy and education.

The country music giant had to miss the show, her representatives said, because of a long-established scheduling conflict, and not health difficulties that prompted her to cancel several recent concerts.

Parton has twice been nominated for best original song Oscars, including for “9 to 5,” the title song of her first film in an acting career that also included “Steel Magnolias.”

Her “9 to 5” co-star Lily Tomlin presented the award, turning her struggles to read the teleprompter into comic improv. She fondly recalled the baby-doll pajamas Parton wore at the impromptu slumber parties they had with co-star Jane Fonda.

Tomlin said the song “9 to 5” became “an anthem for our times” and was itself an example of Parton's philanthropy with its emphasis on worker struggles.

She said it's ironic that there is so much artifice in Parton's appearance, because “she is the most authentic person I have ever known.”

Cruise, in typically hyper-prepared fashion, didn't just shout out his fellow nominees from the stage, but gave each their own detailed tribute. He told Thomas the exact date and theater he first saw one of his films, Spike Lee's “She's Gotta Have It.” He praised Parton for showing that “compassion and creativity are not separate.” And for Allen he quoted from the work of her mother, poet and playwright Vivian Ayers Allen.

Allen gave her own tribute to Cruise, recalling the early-career signature moment when he danced and lip-synced in his underwear in “Risky Business.”

“Honey, we loved when you slid out in those tighty-whiteys,” she said.

Leonardo DiCaprio arrives at the 16th Governors Awards on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Wynn Thomas, winner of an Academy honorary award poses onstage during the 16th Governors Awards on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Tom Cruise, from left, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas, winners of Academy honorary awards pose onstage during the 16th Governors Awards on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Tom Cruise receives an Academy honorary award during the 16th Governors Awards on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Tom Cruise receives an Academy honorary award during the 16th Governors Awards on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 3, 2026--

Aderant, a leading global provider of business-of-law solutions, today announced the appointment of Aisling Fenelon as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Fenelon, a highly respected legal technology executive with more than 25 years of industry experience, is promoted from her role as Vice President of Sales, North America. She has spent the past eleven years at Aderant building, scaling, and leading high-performing revenue teams while partnering closely with law firm clients to deliver measurable business outcomes.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260228406746/en/

Over the course of her tenure, Fenelon has established herself as a trusted advisor to law firms navigating increasing operational complexity and client pressure. Known for her deep understanding of the business of law, she has consistently driven revenue growth while ensuring Aderant’s solutions deliver meaningful, long-term value.

Fenelon assumes responsibility for Aderant’s global revenue organization at a pivotal time for the legal industry. Law firms are under mounting pressure to improve efficiency, demonstrate value, and realize tangible returns on their technology investments—particularly across the work-to-cash lifecycle. In her new role, Fenelon will focus on aligning Aderant’s category-leading product portfolio with clients’ most critical business challenges, helping firms operate more effectively while supporting both the practice and the business of law.

“Aisling’s career has been defined by her ability to combine deep industry knowledge with a relentless focus on client value,” said Chris Cartrett, President and CEO of Aderant. “She understands the realities law firms face today and how technology must perform to meet those demands. Her leadership, credibility, and institutional knowledge make her uniquely qualified to lead our revenue organization and strengthen the value we deliver to clients around the world.”

Fenelon began her career at Aderant on the Business Development team, later leading that function before being appointed Vice President of Sales, North America. In that role, she was responsible for regional sales strategy and execution across Aderant’s solutions, consistently building trusted relationships with law firm leaders and guiding teams through complex, consultative sales cycles. She holds a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University.

“At the highest level, my role is to ensure Aderant grows in the right way—predictably, sustainably, and always in service of our clients,” said Fenelon. “Law firms are asking more of their technology partners than ever before. Our responsibility is to show, clearly and consistently, how Aderant’s products and services deliver real return on investment and create lasting value. I’m excited to continue building a flexible, open ecosystem that helps our clients adapt, innovate, and thrive.”

As Aderant’s first woman to serve as Chief Revenue Officer, Fenelon also emphasized the importance of representation and internal growth. “Promoting leaders from within sends a powerful message,” she said. “Diverse leadership teams foster stronger dialogue and better decision-making, and representation at the top shows our people that there is a clear path to grow and lead here. That’s good for our culture, our clients, and the long-term health of the business.”

About Aderant®

Aderant is dedicated to helping law firms run a better business. As a leading global provider of business management and practice-of-law solutions, the world’s best firms rely on Aderant to keep their businesses moving forward and inspire innovation. At Aderant, the “A” is more than just a letter. It represents how we fulfill our foundational purpose, serving our clients. Aderant operates as a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the S&P 500 and Fortune 1000. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and has several other offices across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit Aderant.com, email info@aderant.com, or follow the company on LinkedIn.

Aisling Fenelon is Chief Revenue Officer at Aderant. She is a senior sales leader with more than 25 years of experience in the legal technology industry and over a decade at Aderant. She began her tenure at Aderant as a member of the Business Development team, later leading the function, before being appointed Vice President of Sales, North America, where she led regional sales strategy and revenue execution across Aderant’s solutions.