Michael J. Fox, the five-time Emmy-winning actor and longtime Parkinson’s disease advocate, will receive the Television Academy’s Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at this year’s Emmy Awards. The academy announced Wednesday that Fox is being honored for his transformative contributions to Parkinson’s disease research and advocacy.
Fox, who has been nominated for an Emmy 19 times, is also up for an award this year for his guest role on Apple TV+’s “Shrinking.” The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award is presented annually to a television industry figure whose humanitarian work brings credit to the medium and the industry.
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 but remained a prominent actor. He founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, which has become one of the world’s largest nonprofit funders of Parkinson’s drug development. The foundation has raised over $1 billion for research.
The Emmy Awards ceremony will take place later this year, with Fox expected to accept the honor in person. The Television Academy noted that the award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to society through their philanthropic efforts.
Fox joins a list of previous recipients including Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, and the late comedian Bob Hope, for whom the award is named. The honor is one of the academy’s highest awards for humanitarian service.