Quincy Jones Awarded Posthumous Oscar
On Sunday, the deceased Quincy Jones was posthumously awarded an honorary Oscar at an emotional and star-packed Hollywood gala that also handed golden statuettes to the producers of the James Bond movie franchise.
US music industry titan Jones passed away from pancreatic cancer at 91 two weeks before he was set to receive one of the Academy’s coveted lifetime achievement prizes at the Governors Awards.
His daughter, the actress Rashida Jones, accepted the Oscar, telling the audience that the legendary hitmaker had been “really excited to attend tonight.”
“He often said ‘Live every day like it’s your last and one day you’ll be right.’ And he did that… the best, most beautiful life,” she said, to a huge ovation.
Jones was best known for producing smash hit records for a who’s who of music industry legends from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson.
“Truth is, the man had an equally powerful impact on the world of film,” said actor Jamie Foxx, introducing his award.
Jones produced seminal Hollywood movies including “The Color Purple,” and received multiple Oscar nominations for film songs and soundtracks including “In Cold Blood” and “The Wiz.”
Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, and Zoe Saldana were among A-listers holding back tears in the audience as Jennifer Hudson sang a musical tribute.
Hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the swanky black-tie Governors Awards each year honor film industry veterans, many of whom are felt to have not received their dues at the regular Oscars.