Viola Davis Will Receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2025 Golden Globes

The seven-time Golden Globes nominee, who won once for Best Supporting Actress in "Fences," will be feted at a gala dinner on January 3 before receiving her award on the January 5 telecast.

Award-winning actress and producer Viola Davis has been announced as the 2025 recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award by the Golden Globes. The film and TV star has been a Golden Globes nominee seven times, winning once for Best Supporting Actress in the film adaptation of August Wilson’s “Fences,” the film she also earned an Oscar for, which also starred and was directed by fellow Cecil B. DeMille winner Denzel Washington. 

The Cecil B. DeMille Award, named in honor of the eponymous director, was first created in 1952, and has been bestowed on 69 honorees representative of Hollywood’s greatest and most iconic talents, including Walt Disney, Jack Warner, Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand, and most notably Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey in recent memory, who both made headlines for their notable speeches addressing the last time President Donald Trump took office.

“Viola Davis is a luminary whose profound talent has continuously shifted the lens through which we see and understand film,” stated Helen Hoehne, President of the Golden Globes via statement. “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.” 

For the first time ever, the Golden Globes will also host a special evening dedicated to its most historic awards, with Davis and the as-yet-unannounced 2025 Carol Burnett Award winner (honoring television achievements) being feted at a gala dinner on Friday, January 3, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Davis will also be recognized on the 82nd Annual Golden Globes broadcast.  

The Golden Globes, will air Sunday, January 5, 2025 (8-11 p.m., live ET/5-8 p.m., live PT) on the CBS Television Network, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs). 

Nominations for The Golden Globes will be announced on Monday, December 9, 2024.