Michael J. Fox to Receive Bob Hope Humanitarian Award
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- Michael J. Fox will receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 78th Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, announced Wednesday, in recognition of his transformative contributions to Parkinson's disease research and advocacy.
- Fox is separately nominated this year for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Apple TV's "Shrinking," with that award given during the nontelevised Emmys on Sept. 6.
- The Michael J. Fox Foundation, founded in 2000, has become the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, supporting more than $3 billion in research programs.
- Fox publicly disclosed his young-onset Parkinson's diagnosis in 1998 and has won five Emmys across 19 nominations, including three consecutive lead comedy actor wins for "Family Ties" (1986–1988).
- The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, created in 2002, has been given only six times in 24 years; past honorees include Oprah Winfrey, Danny Thomas, George Clooney, Sean Penn, and Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen.
- TV Academy chair Cris Abrego called Fox "one of television's most beloved and enduring performers," saying his foundation's investments have "accelerated scientific breakthroughs and the search for a cure."
Why it matters: The honor lands at a rare intersection: this is only the sixth Bob Hope Humanitarian Award given in 24 years, and it coincides with Fox's first acting nomination in over a decade — meaning he could take the stage at the 78th Emmys twice, once for acting and once for humanitarian impact, while his foundation crosses the $3 billion mark in cumulative Parkinson's research funding.
