The Academy also has a special award that they very rarely give out ... in fact, the last time this award was presented to someone was seven years ago when Quincy Jones received the honor. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry. This year, the Academy's Board of Governors have decided to bestow this honor on film director and former Academy President Arthur Hiller. Hiller has been involved with such charitable organizations as the Motion Picture and Television Fund, KCET, Amnesty International, Inner City Filmmakers, the Los Angeles Central Library's reading program, the Deaf Arts Council, the Anti-Defamation League, Los Angeles County Museum programs on film and television, Humanitas, the Streisand Centre at UCLA and the Venice Family Clinic. Hiller is a frequent participant in classes and workshops at universities, festivals and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He served as Academy President from 1993 to 1997. His film credits as a director include LOVE STORY, the original OUT-OF-TOWNERS, PLAZA SUITE, MAN OF LA MANCHA, THE HOSPITAL, SILVER STREAK, AUTHOR! AUTHOR!, and OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE.
In a previous ceremony, Edmund M. Di Giulio was voted the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for technical achievement, a clip of which will be shown on Sunday night's telecast.
As usual, in amongst the regular presentation of Oscars, will be presentations of clips from each of the five films nominated for Best Picture, as well as performances of the five nominated songs for Best Music - Original Song. All of the original artists are slated to perform their songs on the show. Committed to perform their nominated songs:
Faith Hill performing "There You'll Be" from PEARL HARBOR
Sting performing "Until" from KATE & LEOPOLD
Enya performing "May It Be" from LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
Randy Newman and John Goodman performing "If I Didn't Have You" from MONSTERS, INC.
Paul McCartney performing "Vanilla Sky" from VANILLA SKY
One thing's for sure, there will be a lot of good musical talent on the show. The Academy has also announced that the avant garde performing group, Cirque du Soleil, will present a special musical performance honoring music in the movies. Thirty Cirque du Soleil artists will come together for this Oscar Night performance, in music composed by Benoit Jutras and choreographed by Debra Brown.
The official line-up of announced scheduled presenters include the following: Russell Crowe, Julia Roberts, Benicio Del Toro, Ben Stiller, Marcia Gay Harden, Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Helen Hunt, Hugh Jackman, Nathan Lane, Charlize Theron, Owen Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, Tobey Maguire, Mel Gibson, Kevin Spacey, John Travolta, Maggie Smith, Ian McKellen, Josh Hartnett, Sandra Bullock, Jodie Foster, Hugh Grant, Ethan Hawke, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Kingsley, Ali MacGraw, Ryan O'Neal, Ryan Phillippe, Will Smith, Sharon Stone, Naomi Watts, and Reese Witherspoon.
