Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is lobbying for Disney CEO Bob Iger to get an Honorary Oscar, but Academy board members are worried about a conflict of interest.
Kennedy Lobbies for Iger to Receive Honorary Oscar
Four insiders told Variety that Kennedy has reached out to board members for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recent weeks as they meet about new memberships. Kennedy is encouraging them to recommend Iger for one of the annual honorary awards.
However, Variety’s sources say some board members are concerned about the optics of giving Iger an honorary statue because Disney owns ABC. The network has broadcast the Oscars since the 1970s and is currently in negotiations for renewing the contract, which ends in 2028 after the 100th Academy Awards ceremony.
An AMPAS insider told Variety that it’s normal for Academy members like Kennedy to lobby on behalf of potential honorary award candidates, but some are “curious about Kennedy’s motives.” According to two people familiar with the matter, Iger did not know Kennedy was reaching out to the Academy, and he did not ask her to make the recommendation.
An AMPAS spokesperson declined Variety’s request for comment. Representatives for Iger and Kennedy had no comment.
Honorary Oscars are presented at the Governors Awards every November. In recent years, there have been 2-3 recipients, including Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks, and David Lynch.
Walt Disney was one of the first to receive an Honorary Oscar in 1933 for the creation of Mickey Mouse. He was honored twice more, including for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” famously receiving a full-size statue and seven miniature statues.
Kennedy and her partner Frank Marshall received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the 2018 Governors Awards. As a producer, she has been nominated eight times for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Five of the nominations were for Steven Spielberg films. She has been president of Lucasfilm since Disney acquired the production company in 2012.
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