The Golden Globes announced Viola Davis as the 2025 Cecil B. DeMille Honoree Wednesday. The award was created in 1952 in honor of the legendary director and has been given to 69 past honorees, including Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand and Jack Warner.
Davis will be honored at a gala dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 3, 2025; the 87th Golden Globes ceremony airs lives on CBS on Jan. 5.
Davis earned her first Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress in the film adaptation of “Fences” opposite fellow DeMille honoree Denzel Washington.
“Viola Davis is a luminary whose profound talent has continuously shifted the lens through which we see and understand film,” said Helen Hoehne, President of the Golden Globes. “Presenting her with the 2025 Cecil B. DeMille Award is not only an honor but a reflection of our admiration for her relentless dedication to her craft and her monumental impact on the industry.”
“Viola’s courage in portraying complex, powerful characters has broken barriers and paved new paths, making her an emblem of excellence and an ideal recipient of this prestigious award,” Hoehne added.
Davis is being honored for her work as an actor, activist, philanthropist, producer and author. She has also achieved EGOT status through her Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award wins.
She and her husband Julius Tennon founded their production company, JuVee Productions, in 2012. The pair produce both scripted and non-scripted TV, film, theater, documentary, and digital content.
The Golden Globes is the largest awards show in the world to celebrate the best of both film and television and has been viewed in more than 185 countries and territories worldwide. As a premier entertainment awards show since 1944, the annual Golden Globes has honored achievements in both television and film.