Golden Globe winning actress Viola Davis has been named the Cecil B. DeMille Award honoree for 2025 Golden Globes. Davis has been nominated for seven Golden Globes, winning as supporting actress in the 2016 film adaptation of August Wilson’s screenplay, “Fences,” in 2017 opposite Denzel Washington, who is also a DeMille winner.
First created in 1952 and honoring the director, The Cecil B. DeMille Award has been bestowed on 69 honorees drawn from Hollywood’s greatest and most iconic talents, including Walt Disney, Jack Warner, Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand and Oprah Winfrey.
“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. “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.”
Davis is a critically revered artist, activist, producer, philanthropist, and New York Times best-selling author. She earned EGOT status through her Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and multi-Tony Award wins. She was honored in 2017 by Time 100 as one of the world’s most influential people and, in 2022, was honored with the Public Counsel’s William O. Douglas Award for her commitment to social justice causes. Davis has partnered with multiple programs to eradicate childhood hunger in the United States.
Davis, along with the 2025 Carol Burnett Award winner, honored for television achievements, will be feted at a gala dinner on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. For the first time ever, the Golden Globes will host a special evening dedicated to these two historic awards. Davis and the Burnett winner will also be recognized on the 82nd annual Golden Globes broadcast.
Nominations for The Golden Globes will be announced on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024; and the Golden Globes will air Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 (8-11 PM, live ET/5-8 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.