From The Oscars news portal:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that its Board of Governors voted to present Academy Honorary Awards to actor Glenn Close, animator Floyd Norman and director Ridley Scott, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler. […]

“The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to present this year’s Governors Awards to five remarkable individuals whose groundbreaking work has forever shaped the art of filmmaking,” said Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor.

I’m happy for Close, Scott, Vachon, and Koffler, but it’s Floyd Norman for whom I’m absolutely ecstatic.

Floyd Norman is the legendary animator who has broken barriers and inspired generations of artists over his remarkable career. […]

An animator and storyboard artist, Norman began his esteemed 65-year career at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1956, becoming the studio’s first Black animator. His first Disney feature film was “Sleeping Beauty,” and he contributed to such classic feature films as “The Sword in the Stone,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Robin Hood,” as well as the short films “Donald in Mathmagic Land,” “Goliath II” and “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” Norman’s other notable film credits include “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Mulan,” “Toy Story 2” and “Monsters, Inc.”

I’ve mentioned Norman before; he spoke at Apple a decade ago at the screening of his 2016 documentary, Floyd Norman: An Animated Life, and I thought he was a true delight. I’m thrilled he’s being recognized by the Academy for his lifetime of achievements. Congratulations to him (and all of the honorees).

(Via Robert Cheng’s pointer to Disney Animation’s Instagram post.)