The Cecil B. DeMille Award, the first honorary Golden Globe Award, was presented in 1952. With 70-plus years in counting, the prestigious award, recognizes outstanding career contributions of actresses, actors, directors, writers and producers in the field of entertainment.
The award’s namesake Cecil B. DeMille, a silent and sound filmmaker and actor whose 70 films included blockbuster hits “The Greatest Show on Earth” and “The Ten Commandments,” accepted the inaugural award. Since then, the list of internationally acclaimed, celebrated names continuous to grow, famously making history in the process. In 1962, Judy Garland became the first and youngest female recipient, Samuel Goldwyn the oldest at 93, in 1973, Sidney Poitier became the first Black American honoree in 1982, while Oprah Winfrey made history as the first Black American woman in 2018. It’s also been a family affair with father and son, Michael Douglas and Kirk Douglas, and father and daughter, with Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda garnering the award.
The 2025 Golden Globes is set to make history once again, when actress and film producer Viola Davis becomes the first EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) to receive the honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
Here, a look back at 50 Golden Globes Cecil B. DeMille honorees captured through the years in WWD.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Bing Crosby, 1960.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Judy Garland, 1962.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Fred Astaire, 1961
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Bob Hope, 1963. Bob Hope and Dolores Hope attend an event, presented by the American Film Institute, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 8, 1982.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive James “Jimmy” Stewart, 1965. James Stewart attends an event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 9, 1979.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Charleston Heston, 1967. Lydia Heston (L) and Charlton Heston (C) attend the opening night of the Filmex festival in Los Angeles, California, on March 23, 1976.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Kirk Douglas, 1968. Anne Douglas (L) and Kirk Douglas visit Orsini’s restaurant in New York City on August 2, 1973.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Gregory Peck, 1969 and Lucille Ball, 1979. Gregory Peck and Lucille Ball attend an awards ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on December 27, 1979.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Sal Traina Joan Crawford, 1970. A man having a conversation with Joan Crawford and another man in the audience at the Alixandre Fall 1973 fur show in New York.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Frank Sinatra, 1971. Frank Sinatra attends a party, benefitting the Duboff Educational Therapy Center, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on April 25, 1981.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Alfred Hitchcock, 1972. Francois Truffaut (2nd from L), Grace Kelly (C), and Alfred Hitchcock (2nd from R) attend the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s tribute to Alfred Hitchcock in New York City on April 29, 1974.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Bette Davis, 1974. Bette Davis attends an event, presented by the American Film Institute, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 8, 1982.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Henry Fonda, 1980. Henry Fonda (L) has his tuxedo for presenting at the 1972 Tony Awards fitted by custom tailor Vito Smeraldi in New York City on April 20, 1972.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Gene Kelly, 1981. Gene Kelly attends a party on the 20th Century Fox lot in Century City, California, on February 28, 1983.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Laurence Olivier, 1981. Natalie Wood (2nd from L) and Laurence Olivier (wearing tuxedo) attend an event, featuring a screening of “A Little Romance,” at the Plitt Century Plaza Theater in Century City, California, on April 1, 1979.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Jan Jarecki/WWD Sidney Poitier, 1982. Actor Sidney Poitier with wife Joanna Shimkus at the 12th biennial Carousel of Hope gala, hosted by Barbara and Marvin Davis at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 27, 1996.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Paul Newman, 1984; Elizabeth Taylor, 1985. Paul Newman with Elizabeth Taylor backstage at teh 1992 Academy Awards ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Barbara Stanwyck, 1986. Barbara Stanwyck (C) attends an American Film Institute event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 3, 1978.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Donato Sardella Anthony Quinn, 1987. Kathy Benvin and Anthony Quinn attend the 54th Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 19, 1997.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Clint Eastwood, 1988. Actor Clint Eastwood attends the Golden Globe awards on January 22, 1996 in Hollywood, California.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Doris Day, 1989. Actress Doris Day attends the opening of Tom Jones’ musical, ‘I Do, I Do in Los Angeles.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Guy Marineau Audrey Hepburn, 1990. Audrey Hepburn and Robert Wolders attend an event at the Latin Paradis in Paris, France, on November 27, 1985.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Jack Lemon, 1991. Jack Lemmon and Felicia Farr attend an event, presented by the American Film Institute, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 8, 1982.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Roman Salicki/WWD Robert Mitchum, 1992. Robert Mitchum attends an event at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, on May 11, 1982.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Tony Palmieri Lauren Bacall, 1993. Lauren Bacall attends the John Curry’s benefit to establish the New York School for skating in New York on June 5, 1978.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Guy DeLort Robert Redford, 1994. Robert Redford attends a fundraiser for senatorial candidate Wayne Owens at the home of W. Averell Harriman in Washington, D.C., on May 13, 1974.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Donato Sardella Sophia Loren, 1995. Sophia Lauren attends the 16th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Sean Connery, 1996. Sean Connery and Micheline Roquebrune attend the Golden Globe awards on January 22, 1996 in Hollywood, California.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Ted Dayton Dustin Hoffman, 1997. Dustin Hoffman and Lisa Hoffman attend an event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on October 28, 1994.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Sal Traina Shirley MacLaine, 1998. Shirley MacLaine attends a tribute to producer Robert Evans at the Americana Hotel in New York City on October 30, 1975.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Donato Sardella Jack Nicholson, 1999. Jack Nicholson attends the 55th Golden Globe awards.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Barbara Streisand, 2000. Kris Kristofferson, Bella Abzug and Barbara Streisand at the premiere of ‘A Star Is Born in New York City.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Ted Dayton Al Pacino, 2001. Al Pacino attend an event at Spago in West Hollywood, California, on March 29, 1993.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Tyler Boye Harrison Ford, 2002. Harrison Ford attends the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: John Bright Gene Hackman, 2003. Gene Hackman attends the local premiere of “Superman II” at the National Theatre in New York City on June 1, 1981.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Tyler Boye Michael Douglas, 2004. Michael Douglas (L) and Catherine Zeta-Jones attend the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Robin Williams, 2005. Robin Williams attend the Golden Globe Awards at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on December 9, 1980.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Ted Dayton Anthony Hopkins, 2006. (L-R, foreground) Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson attend the 51st Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 22, 1994, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Donato Sardella Warren Beatty, 2007. Annette Bening (L) and Warren Beatty attend the 62nd annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Penske Media/Getty Steven Spielberg, 2009. Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg attend the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Ted Dayton Martin Scorcese, 2020. Martin Scorsese (2nd from L), Illeana Douglas (2nd from R), and guests attend the 51st Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 22, 1994, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Lynn Karlin Robert De Niro, 2011. Robert De Niro (L) attends the release of “New York, New York,” at Lincoln Center and the afterparty at Studio 54, in New York City on June 21, 1977.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Mauricio Miranda Morgan Freeman, 2012. Morgan Freeman attends Dolce & Gabbana’s spring 2011 menswear runway show.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Katie Jones/WWD Jodie Foster, 2013. Jodie Foster attends the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Pierre Venant Woody Allen, 2014. American director, writer and actor Woody Allen being interviewed about his film “Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex…” on April 26, 1972.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Lexie Moreland George Clooney, 2015. George Clooney at the Clooney Foundation for Justice Hosts “The Albies” held at the New York Public Library on September 26, 2024
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Cecil-DeGolden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Ted Dayton Denzel Washington, 2016. Pauletta Washington and Denzel Washington attend an event at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on March 27, 1995.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Donato Sardella Meryl Streep, 2017. Meryl Streep attends the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Penske Media/Getty Oprah Winfrey, 2018. Oprah Winfrey attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Jeff Bridges, 2019. Jeff Bridges (R) and guest attend the 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Ted Dayton Tom Hanks, 2020. Actor Tom Hanks attends the 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 21, 1995
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Penske Media/Getty Jane Fonda, 2021. Jane Fonda attends the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles.
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Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Honorees Through The Years
Image Credit: Penske Media/Getty Eddie Murphy, 2022. Eddie Murphy at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton on January 10, 2023.
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82nd Annual Golden Globes Hosts Golden Gala: An Evening Of Excellence Honoring Viola Davis And Ted Danson
Image Credit: Getty Images Viola Davis attends “82nd Annual Golden Globes Hosts Golden Gala: An Evening of Excellence honoring Viola Davis and Ted Danson” at The Beverly Hilton on January 03, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.