Penélope Cruz, Walter Salles, Bruce Springsteen, and Bowen Yang will be honored at the fifth annual Academy Museum fundraising gala, taking place on October 18. Presented by Rolex, the star-studded evening raises vital support for the museum’s exhibitions, screenings, and educational programming.
Oscar-winning actress Cruz (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”) will receive the Icon Award, which recognizes an artist whose career has made a significant global impact. Brazilian filmmaker Salles, who helmed the Oscar-winning international feature “I’m Still Here,” will be honored with the Luminary Award for his innovative contributions to expanding the boundaries of filmmaking. Music legend and Grammy and Oscar winner Springsteen, who is also slated to perform live during the event, will be the recipient of the museum’s inaugural Legacy Award, celebrating his influence on generations of storytellers and his cultural impact. Recent Emmy nominee Yang (“Saturday Night Live”) will be presented with the Vantage Award, which honors artists who help challenge dominant narratives in cinema.
The annual gala supports the museum’s mission-driven initiatives, including public programming, educational activities for K–12 students, and access initiatives that benefit the Los Angeles community and beyond.
This year’s honorees join a prestigious list of past recipients, including Paul Mescal, Rita Moreno, and Quentin Tarantino.
“The Academy Museum Gala is a special evening dedicated to bringing together individuals to champion the celebration, advancement, and preservation of cinema,” said Amy Homma, Academy Museum director and president. “As we gather for a fifth year, we are honored to recognize Penélope Cruz, Walter Salles, Bruce Springsteen, and Bowen Yang—storytellers whose influence resonates in film and beyond. We are deeply grateful to our founding supporters, including Rolex, for their enduring commitment to cinema, and to our gala co-chairs for making this event possible.”
The 2025 Gala Co-Chairs include Jon M. Chu, Common, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Jennifer Hudson and Alejandro Ramírez Magaña.
The Academy Museum also revealed its 2025 Gala Host Committee, a who’s who of the entertainment industry, including Amy Adams, Judd Apatow, Gael García Bernal, Laura Dern, Colman Domingo, Willem Dafoe, Goldie Hawn, Oscar Isaac, Zoë Kravitz, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lupita Nyong’o, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Chloë Sevigny, Tessa Thompson, Rachel Zegler and many more.
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