Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ annual Governors Awards honored four people with honorary Oscar statuettes during a private, untelevised dinner gala at the Hollywood & Highland complex Sunday. The film academy’s board of governors on Sunday for the first time gave honorary Oscar statuettes to a publicist, Marvin Levy, and the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial award to a woman, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. Actress Cicely Tyson, who was nominated once for the 1972 film Sounder, and Dirty Harry composer Lalo Schifrin, a six-time nominee, also received the honorary Oscar. The honorary Oscar is the film academy’s celebration of the careers of Hollywood titans who have not yet won the golden statuette. Levy is the longtime publicist for Steven Spielberg. The 91st annual Academy Awards will be held on Feb. 24. Kennedy will be accepting the Irving G. Thalberg award with her husband and partner Frank Marshall.
■ Idris Elba’s daughter has been chosen as the Golden Globe Ambassador to assist with the glitzy awards ceremony. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced that 16-year-old Isan Elba will assume the ambassador title for the 76th annual Golden Globes Awards in January. Her 46-year-old father was named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine earlier this month. An ambassador is traditionally the child of a celebrity and assists with award presentations.