Ridley Scott Accepts Honorary Oscar Remotely From London

Ridley Scott will accept his honorary Oscar by video link from London on Sunday night, missing the live ceremony in Los Angeles.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the arrangement after Scott underwent a minor medical procedure last week. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that doctors advised the director against flying while he recovers. Scott turns 89 on November 30.

The director pre-taped his acceptance speech last week. The recording will play during the 17th annual Governors Awards ceremony. His entire family, including his wife, children, and grandchildren, will attend the event in person in Los Angeles.

Scott joins two other recipients of honorary Oscars at the same ceremony. Actress Glenn Close and animator Floyd Norman are also slated to receive the awards. Producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will accept the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

Scott began his directing career late, releasing his debut feature, The Duellists, in 1977 at the age of 38. Before that, he produced high-end commercials with his brother Tony, who died in 2012. His filmography includes Alien, Blade Runner, and Thelma & Louise.

His work has generated approximately $5 billion in global box office revenue. He has received four best director Oscar nominations, including for Thelma & Louise and Black Hawk Down. Gladiator won the best picture Oscar in 2000, but Scott did not win the director prize that year. He also produced The Martian and Gladiator 2.

Scott has never won a competitive Oscar for his own work. His films have collected nine Academy Awards out of 45 nominations. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts honored him with its Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award in 1994 and its Fellowship in 2018.