Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award


The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is awarded periodically by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Governors Awards ceremonies for an individual's "outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes". Prior to 2009, this award was presented during the main Oscars ceremony. The award category was instituted in 1956 and first awarded at the 29th Academy Awards, in March 1957. Unlike the Academy Award of Merit, the nomination and voting for this award are restricted to members of the Board of Governors of AMPAS.

History

The award is named after Danish American screen actor and humanitarian Jean Hersholt, who served as president of the Motion Picture Relief Fund for 18 years. He also served as president of AMPAS from 1945 to 1949. Winners of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award are presented with an Academy Award Oscar statuette. As of the 92nd Academy Awards, there have been 39 awards presented, two of which were posthumous.

List of recipients

YearImageRecipientNationality
1957
1958
1960
1961
1962
1963
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1973
1974
1975
1976
1978
1979
1980
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1990
1993
1993
1994
1995
2002
2005
2007
2009
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2020