The now retired Studio Ghibli founder and animation genius Hayao Miyazaki is to receive an honorary gong at this year's Academy Awards...
Arguably the most respected animator in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki broke the hearts of millions when he announced his retirement in September last year. Then again, he surely deserves a rest: following the founding of Studio Ghibli in 1985, Miyazaki-san worked tirelessly (perhaps even obsessively) on his films, creating such masterpieces as Laputa: Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Princess Mononoke.
Three of Miyazaki's films received deserved attention at the Oscars: Spirited Away won Best Animated Feature in 2002, while Howl's Moving Castle and last year's The Wind Rises - the director's swansong - were both nominated for the same award.
It's now been revealed that Miyazaki will receive an honorary Oscar at the sixth annual Governors Awards on the 8th November - a fitting tribute to a lifetime of exceptional, boundary-pushing work. Indeed, the Governers Awards were specifically created to celebrate "lifetime achievements, exceptional contributions to motion picture arts and sciences, and outstanding service to the Academy" according to The Hollywood Reporter.
All we can say is, it's richly, richly deserved.
This year's other recipients are Jean-Claude Carriere, the French screenwriter, actress Maureen O'Hara, and singer Harry Belafonte.
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