Viola Davis To Receive Cecil B. DeMille Award At 2025 Golden Globes

Viola Davis has been named the 2025 recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for the 82nd annual Golden Globes.

“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, in a 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.”

The EGOT winner earned her first Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in Fences (2016). She went on to win the Oscar and SAG Award for the same film. Not to mention, Davis is currently the most-nominated Black woman in Oscar history.

The Cecil B. DeMille Award was created in 1952 and has been given to 69 of Hollywood’s most prolific talents. Prior winners include Sidney Poitier (1982), Morgan Freeman (2012), Denzel Washington (2016), Oprah (2018), and Eddie Murphy (2023).

Davis will be honored at the gala dinner, alongside the to-be-announced 2025 Carol Burnett Award recipient, on Jan. 3, 2025 at the Beverly Hilton. This marks the first time the Golden Globes will have a special event dedicated to these awards. The How To Get Away With Murder star will also be recognized during the televised ceremony.

The 2025 Golden Globes airs on Sunday, Jan. 5 on CBS, and will stream on Paramount+. Golden Globe nominations will be announced on Monday, Dec. 9.