Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton receive honorary Oscars at buzzy Governors Awards

Tom Cruise and Dolly Parton were among those who received honorary Oscars at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES — After clinging to the side of a plane, riding a motorcycle off a cliff and climbing up the side of a sky scraper, it was a few stair steps that took Tom Cruise's career to new heights.

On Sunday, the actor finally collected an Academy Award.

“I want you to know that I will always do everything I can to help this art form,” said Cruise, 63, upon receiving an honorary Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards. “Hopefully without too many more broken bones.”

The Governors Awards, which are selected by the Academy’s board based on an artist’s career, are distinct from the competitive Academy Awards given out during the Oscars telecast, which the group’s more than 10,000 members vote on to reward specific films.

In addition to honoring recipients, the glamorous event has also been considered a key campaign stop for Oscar contenders, many who show up largely in order to rub elbows with Academy voters. The event, which is not televised, is a kind of dual purpose celebration, or “a Russian doll awards show,” as "Is This Thing On?" star Will Arnett said on stage.