Throughout his career, David Lynch has been nominated for four Academy Awards thanks to The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, but to date he has never actually *won* an Oscar. That changes this coming October, when Lynch is given an Honorary Oscar!
The Wrap details, “Directors David Lynch and Lina Wertmüller and actors Geena Davis and Wes Studi have been named recipients of this year’s Governors Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy announced on Monday. All four will receive Honorary Oscars at a ceremony at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland on October 27.”
“These Governors Awards given by the Academy each year recognize individuals who have devoted themselves to a lifetime of artistic accomplishment and brought outstanding contributions to our industry, and beyond,” said Academy President John Bailey. “It is with great pleasure that we announce this year’s recipients.”
The official press release detailed Lynch’s achievements:
Born in Missoula, Montana, in 1946, Lynch is a filmmaker, musician and artist. He wrote, produced and directed his first full-length feature film, “Eraserhead,” in 1977. With editing, scoring and sound design also led by Lynch, the film continues to draw a large cult following. Its success brought Lynch the opportunity to direct “The Elephant Man” (1980), which received eight Oscar nominations including Directing and Adapted Screenplay for Lynch himself. His prolific career has included two more Directing nominations – for “Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Mulholland Drive” (2001) – and additional directing credits for “Dune” (1984), “Wild at Heart” (1990), “Lost Highway” (1997), “The Straight Story” (1999) and “Inland Empire” (2006).
Only four artists receive Honorary Oscars each year.