Governors Awards: stars hit red carpet

  • 11 years ago
Hollywood has been honouring four of its brightest lights at the Governors Awards, an annual ceremony held ahead of the Oscars.

Actress Angelina Jolie was handed the Jean Hersholt Humantarian Award for her humanitarian work. Jolie joined the UNHCR in 2001 and the refugee agency remains a high priority for the actress, despite a busy career and a large family.

“My love,” she said, addressing her husband, actor Brad Pitt, “your support and your guidance make everything I do possible. Mad (to her son Maddox), I’m not going to cry, I promise. I wouldn’t embarrass you. You and your brothers and sisters are my happiness… I’m very humbled to be here tonight among so many extraordinary artists. My mother loved art, she loved film. She supported any crazy thing I did, but whenever it had meaning, she made a point of telling me, ‘That is what film is for.’”

Hollywood veteran Steve Martin was presented with his honorary Oscar by Tom Hanks, and couldn’t help living up to his reputation by cracking a joke or two on stage.

“Thank you so much. Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a long-time dream of mine that I would one day receive an honorary Oscar. Tonight I feel that I am one step closer to that dream…”

And 88-year old actress Angela Lansbury, probably best known for her role as amateur detective Jessica Fletcher in the long-running television series ‘Murder, She Wrote’ was finally awarded her Oscar after three nominations.

The Academy created the Governors Awards in 2009 to shorten the protracted Oscars ceremony that usually takes place in February or March.

Costume designer Piero Tosi was also rewarded, though he couldn’t be present at the ceremony.

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