^{Credit: Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (Fiore Media Group)}

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced this year's recipients for Honorary Oscars, which will be presented at the Governors Awards in November. Among this year's selections is legendary animator Floyd Norman, who joins a lineup that includes Glenn Close and Ridley Scott. Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler are also receiving this year's Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Norman's storied career spans numerous animation studios, from Hanna-Barbera, Ruby-Spears, to Film Roman, to Pixar. Yet, Norman is best known for his work with Walt Disney Animation Studios. 

Norman became the first African American to work at the Disney studio for a long-term period. How long? His résumé stretches back to 1959, when he worked on Sleeping Beauty. Norman's time at Disney stretched into the 60s and early 70s with One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, and Robin Hood. He returned to Disney animation in the 90s, contributing to the stories for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mulan. Although there are gaps in his Disney tenure, it feels like Norman has never truly left the studio. He even recently served as a storyboard artist on an episode of Disney's Ariel Jr. in 2024. 

In 2016, Norman joined AMPAS' Education and Outreach Committee. When I interviewed Norman for my books, Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Vol. 1-3, I asked him his general thoughts on the Oscars. He told me the following:

“In many ways it is totally superficial... However, when you walk down the red carpet at the Oscar ceremony, you do realize that you are in a very special place. You think back to the years when you were a kid just building your career, never knowing you would reach this level where you would be standing side by side with movie stars, producers, directors that you had heard about. And now here you are in their midst and you’re kind of like one of them. It’s a very unique situation. You almost, at times, feel like you don’t belong. But here you are. You’ve somehow earned your way into this prestigious organization, not that was ever your intent. But it just sort of happened as you moved along and grew over the years. And then one day, you reach a certain point where you feel like, ‘Gee, maybe I have indeed accomplished something in my career.’”

Among other things, I asked Norman who he felt deserved an Honorary Oscar. He said fellow Disney Legend Ruthie Tompson. According to Norman, “In the making of an animated film, there are a lot of complicated camera mechanics and things that have to be worked out mathematically. Ruthie Tompson became, what I like to tell people, our computer before we had computers. She contributed her unique skill and sensibility to so many Walt Disney films. She was a woman at the Disney Studio, which was often considered a boy’s club. She was a very important woman who contributed to many Walt Disney films. She deserves an Oscar and people should know her name.”

Thompson passed away in 2021 at the astounding age of 111. While Thompson never got an Honorary Oscar, Norman will be 91 when he accepts his later this year. Only a handful of individuals from the animation community have been selected for an Honorary Oscar. Norman joins a class that includes George Pal, Walter Lantz, Chuck Jones, Hayao Miyazaki, and, naturally, Walt Disney. Unlike the aforementioned names, Norman didn't rise to fame as a producer or director, although he did helm the 2015 short, 101 Dalmatians: The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt. Even so, Norman has rarely, if ever, been in a position to be nominated for a competitive Oscar. As such, he's an especially inspired choice for an honorary statuette. 

Norman previously received the Winsor McCay Award from ASIFA-Hollywood at the Annie Awards in 2002. Beyond his contributions to the art of animation, Norman remains one of the last links to a golden age. He's a well of wisdom in more ways than one. Speaking with Norman, you'll not only learn more about the history of animation through his eyes, but his passion for the art form will wash over you. People often ask me, "Who is your favorite person you ever interviewed?" I can never name just one, but my conversation with Norman was perhaps the most profound. For more on Norman, be sure to check out any of his books and his 2016 documentary, Floyd Norman: An Animated Life. 

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!