Bowen Yang, Bruce Springsteen, & More to be Honored at 2025 Academy Museum Gala

Actress Penélope Cruz, director Walter Salles, Tony Award-winning musician Bruce Springsteen, and Wicked star and comedian Bowen Yang are set to be honored at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' annual fundraising gala on October 18, 2025.

Cruz will be honored with the Icon Award, which celebrates an artist whose career has had a significant global impact. The Luminary Award, presented to Walter Salles, is given to an artist whose singular contributions have expanded the creative possibilities of filmmaking. The inaugural Legacy Award, presented to Bruce Springsteen, honors an artist whose body of work has inspired generations of storytellers and deeply influenced our culture. The Vantage Award, presented to Bowen Yang, is given to an emerging artist who is helping to challenge dominant narratives around cinema

The evening will help raise funds to support museum exhibitions, education initiatives, and public programming, including screenings, K–12 programs, and access initiatives in service of the public and the local community of Los Angeles. Last year’s gala raised more than $11MM for the museum. Supported by Rolex, the exclusive presenting partner and founding supporter of the Academy Museum, the Gala is being co-chaired by Wicked's Jon M. Chu; Common; Viola Davis and Julius Tennon; Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey; Jennifer Hudson; and Academy Museum Trustee Alejandro Ramírez Magaña.

Several Broadway and theater stars are on the 2025 Academy Museum Gala Host Committee, including Rachel Zegler, currently starring in London's Evita, Tony nominee Ariana DeBose, Tony nominee Colman Domingo, and Tony winner Eddie Redmayne, to name a few. 

The Committee also includes Amy Adams and Darren Le Gallo, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, Noah Baumbach, Dave Bautista, Gael García Bernal, Alison Brie and Dave Franco, Adrien Brody, Nia DaCosta, Willem Dafoe, Danielle Deadwyler, Laura Dern, Harris Dickinson, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Eisenberg, Jacob Elordi, Jeff Goldblum, Ludwig Göransson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Oscar Isaac, Rian Johnson, Simon Kinberg, Zoë Kravitz, Jude Law, Greta Lee, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall, Demi Moore, Lupita Nyong’o, Jenna Ortega, Ke Huy and Echo Quan, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Seth and Lauren Miller Rogen, Eli Roth, Bird Runningwater, Meg Ryan, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldaña, Chloë Sevigny, Celine Song, June Squibb, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, Jeremy Strong, and Tessa Thompson. More individuals joining the host committee will be announced at a later date. 

The 2024 Academy Museum Gala honored Paul Mescal, Rita Moreno, and Quentin Tarantino. Take a look at photos from the evening here. The 2023 Academy Museum Gala honored Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and Sofia Coppola. The 2022 Academy Museum Gala honored Julia Roberts, Miky Lee, Sir Steve McQueen, and Tilda Swinton. The 2021 Academy Museum Opening Gala honored Haile Gerima and Sophia Loren as well as Academy Museum Campaign Leaders Annette Bening, Bob Iger, and Tom Hanks.